Secretly Wanted
by skydiamonds91
Summary: Narnia is not the same stable place described to Cari by the Pevensies.Rillian has finally returned yet everything he had known about life and himself, was altered. Narnia awaits its next king, but if he is unwilling to come what happens then?
1. Prologue

**Secretly Wanted**: A Chronicle of Narnia

_**Hello everyone**! Thanks for reading this first off, this is the very first story so please REVIEW and tell me what you think. I don't own any characters in this chapter except for Cari, everything else i give credit to C.S. Lewis. Great author, great stories. _

_Enjoy:)_

_**Prologue:**_

_"Come on, our time here's done."_

_"But-"_

_"Peter's right Lucy. Don't worry, we'll come back one day." Lucy sniffed and looked back at the golden animal smiling kindly in front of her. She returned his smile with a brave one of her own. Taking Susan's hand she let her older sister lead her towards the impossible gate. It was an entrance and an exit altogether. It was impossible, but an unfortunate reality. As she passed through she felt an unexplainable urge to turn around and take one more look at the land she loved…but it was gone. The tears came freely now, she had no idea when she would see the benevolent lion again. Or the-_

"But wait a second. I thought you said that you ended up going back? Even Aslan said so!" A young woman interrupted, scratching her head in confusion. A male laugh sounded.

"Gosh Cari, are all American's so impatient?" Cari growled and threw a pillow at the boy.

"For the last time Edmund, I'm Canadian!" he laughed again and threw the pillow back. The three of them sat around a roaring fire. Cari herself sat on the floor, the couch against her back, toes stretched out in front to catch the heat of the fire. A fourteen year old Lucy sat on the couch, braiding her second cousin's hair. Edmund sat on the arm chair, the discarded book he set out to read lay silent on his lap. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry I interrupted. So when the next time was you all went back?"

"Well the next time it was only me and Lucy."

"And Eustace, don't forget him."

"Oh yeah, he's the cousin I met the other day right? He was a nice guy." She had enjoyed meeting the twelve year old too. He was a very calm individual. Cari admired him as he seemed to be secure in his beliefs. He found such peace, so young.

"You know, he wasn't always like that." Lucy started with a knowing grin towards her brother. He smirked.

"It's true; he was such a git…before coming to Narnia with me and Luce." Cari snapped her head towards Edmund, eyes wide.

"You're lying!"

"Nope. But you must admit that turning into a hideous beast with no way to change back does make one think."

"Whoa, tell me the story!" she gushed, almost jumping and tearing her hair from Lucy's skilled hands. "Ow!"

"Don't blame me; it's your own fault." Cari bit her lip but continued to stare at Edmund, silently begging him to enlighten her. Edmund took a sip of his cooling tea. Their beverages had been almost forgotten in the happy memories he and his sister were sharing. The Pevensies rarely shared the happiest portions of their lives with anyone other than those who had similar experiences. He didn't know what had possessed him and Lucy into telling Cari all of this…but it brought him joy to see such a adamant listener. So he cleared his throat.

"A _good morning to you." a nasally voice sounded. The small party turned to see a group of seven or more rough looking men. A noble voice from their own finaly responded. His deep voice cut through the uneasy atmosphere. Edmund narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He did not like the side looks these men were giving to one another. He stepped closer to Lucy, trying to shield his sister from their view._

_"And a good morning to you," Caspian responded. The young king stood tall and confident. Edmund was hit with a moment of relief. It was nice to see Narnia finaly protected by such a great ruler. It made him long briefly for the years when he helped protect these lands. "Is there still a governor of the Lone Islands?"_

_"To be sure there is," one of the men said. This man was not quite the largest of the group, but Edmund could see that his filthy clothing was of a tad greater quality than the rest of the men. Their leader perhaps? "Governor Gumpas. His Sufficiency is at Narrowhaven. But you'll stay and drink with us."_

_"Your offer is most generous kind sir, but my party and I are in a hurry to seek audience with this governor." Caspian's tone was friendly, but Edmund saw that his stance was not. The young king held the same mind as the rest of them. No one wanted to be anywhere near these men. Lucy shifted uncomfortably behind him and he touched her arm to calm her. She was getting scared._

_"Please, I insist." There was something in his voice that sent shivers down Edmund's spine. He assumed that these men wouldn't stand for a refusal. He shared a brief glance with Caspian. They were in a dilemma to be sure. Edmund nodded, letting his friend now that anything he decided to do, Edmund would follow. With a subtely forced smile Caspian sat. Edmund sat beside him. The next few minutes became a blur of memory, a clash of shouts, weapons and shouts of pain._

"Hey if you died in Narnia, how come you didn't die in London?" Cari's question was met with silence as the two siblings shared a look of confusion, and in Edmund's case, frustration. "I know it's a stupid question, but just satisfy the curiosity please."

"It's not a stupid question Cari…" Lucy started gently.

"What's stupid is that you interrupted me. Again!" Edmund said in a huff, leaning back and dislodging the book from his lap. Cari stuck her tongue out and laughed at his shocked face. She loved that she could act like such a child with them. All the pressures of adulthood flew from her mind and she found herself able to lose herself in Edmund and Lucy's fantasies. She could almost see the lush greens of the fields and forests, or hear the rolling waves attack and retreat from the shore.

"I'm just surprised you didn't expect it." She commented with a smirk. Edmund opened his mouth as if to rebuke her, then closed it quickly. She was right after all, so he smirked as well.

"We thought so too Cari, the first time we went to Narnia." Lucy's voice sounded suddenly. Cari twisted her body to face her cousin. Her statement surprised her briefly before she remembered that it was she who first asked the question. She had also wondered why Lucy had been so quiet. She had been struck by Cari's question.

"Did you die?"

"Thank Aslan we didn't!" she almost shouted. Cari laughed at the expression. It was so foreign to her. The two teens seemed submerged in their stories as well. It seemed to her that when she was told these stories, they relived memories. Surprisingly she felt herself drawn into these memories as well.

"So then who were the men? What happened? Edmund quit stalling!" Cari finished with a flourish. He scoffed in answer and crossed his arms over his chest. Lucy giggled and bent her head to examine her braids.

"They were slave drivers."

"And you got caught? I thought you said you suspected something."

"What were we supposed to do? It was seven huge thugs against a man, two teenage boys, a girl and a mouse!" he shouted. Cari chuckled. She had hurt his pride.

"I bet Reepicheep could have taken on all seven and win." Lucy laughed.

"Oh, no doubt there." Edmund joined in the laughter of the two girls. Cari quickly stopped and turned back to Edmund, one hand on the ground to steady herself.

"So…" Edmund rolled his eyes but continued smiling.

"You're going to love what comes next." Cari's smile widened and she shifted her position so she lay on her stomach facing her cousin. She may be almost seventeen, but Carilyn still found herself bursting with excitement with the idea of a new fairytale. After all…all these stories….they couldn't be more than just fairytales. Right?

_So yeah, tell me what you think. And if you like it, please remember me and check to see when i upload more...please. The story's going to change so keep and open mind. Oh and THANKS for reading:)_


	2. Chapter 1: The Impossible Gate

**Secretly Wanted**: A Chronicle of Narnia

_**Hello everyone whose reading this!**__ So this is it, the second chapter. For those whose following my story I just want to clear up a few things. First, I do not own the world of Narnia, C. S. Lewis does. Second, you might notice a change of personality in Cari. Just keep reading, make you own opinion and I'll let you know why at the end;) oh and please __**Review**___

_**Chapter One: The Impossible Gate**_

"So how was it?" Mag asked as the girl next to her as they walked down Yonge Street. "And tell the truth." Cari had just returned. She was tired. Her two and a half month vacation was fun, but hardly relaxing. What made matters worse was that course, she had to work the next day. She yawned and rubbed her tired face. Cari realized with a grimace that she was losing her battle against jet lag. London was beautiful…despite being a tad rainy. Cari's heart had ached at having to leave so soon. In England she had finally met some of her mother's relatives and had made great friendships with her four previously unknown cousins.

"I was being truthful when I told mom I had fun." Cari defended herself. "I don't know why she can't just swallow her shame and visit. Everyone missed her."

"Well you know how proud she is. I suppose sixteen years is still not enough time to get some courage." suddenly Mag's face reddened. "Sorry Cari, I didn't mean it that way."

"What? Oh hey, no problem. I really don't care, I mean I didn't even know him right?" Cari faked a nonchalant expression, but she had lied. She didn't want to tell Meg, that deep down it hurt to not have any idea to how her father looked like. In fact, she rarely got to meet any of her mother's family. Cari suspected that it was still too soon for her mother to face England. There was too much shame. However, the fact that her mother had not wanted to visit hadn't stopped Cari. For the past seven years she had begged her mother to visit England and her Great-Uncle Digory. Cari's mother thankfully always had a great relationship with her uncle. In fact it was the stories her mother used to tell her about him that made Cari want to meet with him. When she had first visited him, she found him both strange and wonderful. He was definitely weird, but this only made Cari like him more.

"How was your Uncle? Did he have anymore wild stories to tell you?" she snickered. Cari playfully smacked her arm, and then laughed.

"Of course!" they walked a bit more in silence, "I also met four of my second cousins, the Pevensies."

"Really?"

"Yeah they were really cool. They knew the same stories as Uncle Digory Either he told them or..." Cari paused to think, "I'm not sure if they were serious or just putting me on." A loud honk made her jump, jolting her from her thoughts. She whipped around to see a car whiz by. A teenager stuck his head out the window.

"Hey cuties! Looking good!" Cari's faced burned and she quickly turned away in anger. Mag merely laughed and waved before Cari grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Why do you always act like that when this happens?" She almost yelled at her step-sister. She looked at her in annoyance.

"And I don't know why you hate it! It's supposed to be flattering!" she retorted hotly and began walking ahead of her. Cari held her breath and tried desperately to bit back her retort.

"It is not flattering to be watched and judged like a piece of meat while you're on the streets. Don't you feel exposed?"She finally said calmly with a touch of exasperation. She really hated it when situations like this happened. Whenever Cari would walk down a street or in a store and feel the eyes of lustful men watching her every move. It was disgraceful! And made her feel almost dirty. Of course Mag would feel differently. Cari wondered why she didn't share her opinions. She supposed it was because of her mother and how she would constantly remind her of the perverts who wandered the streets. However annoying those speeches were, Cari understood why she would feel like that and be so protective. After all, she was the product of a rape.

"Well thanks for walking with me." She said to Mag when they both finally reached the clothing store where she worked.

"Cari, you look so tired, why don't you ask for the day off or something?"

"Can't." She replied and shrugged her shoulders, "I need all the money I can get for college." Mag shook her head and gave her a quick hug. A college that she truthfully wasn't so sure she would belong to.

"Well I'm off; if you see anything cute make sure to put it aside for me ok?" Mag winked and bounded back up the street to catch the streetcar. Cari sighed and straightened her pencil skirt before entering the store.

~*~

"Well what do you think?" A voice asked before the changing room door swung open and a woman walked out. Cari bit her lip to keep from laughing. The woman wasn't exactly slim and had managed to squeeze into a skirt that was obviously two sizes too small. The green blouse she had chosen did nothing to flatter but rather made her complexion appear sickly. She coughed before answering.

"Well... honestly I-"

"A-hem!" Cari's manager almost yelled. She glanced back at him and begged him with her eyes, wanting to tell the truth. He only shook his head. She sighed in defeat and turned back to the waiting customer in pity. This was, in her opinion the worst part of the job…having to lie…to say anything to get the people to buy.

"It looks...nice" she finally manages to say. The woman smiled and turned back to the mirror to admire herself. "But, if you want, I have another blouse here that I believe would look even nicer." The woman turned to face her, hands on her hips.

"I like this one thank you very much." she replied curtly, "if I want your advice, I'll ask for it... okay?" Cari was taken aback by her rudeness and felt the pity turn to annoyance. _Fine! _She thought to yourself_ Buy it you ugly troll, sheesh I was trying to help!_

"Cari, phone for you!" her boss called out. Cari let out a breath and smiled, silently thanking and forgiving her boss for earlier. She went back to the counter to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Cari? Oh thank God, you need to come to the hospital." Mag's frightened voice sounded. Cari immediately paled.

"Mag? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, not my...it's mom! I don't know what happened. I came home an hour after we parted and found her on the floor in the kitchen, phone in hand. She was unconscious and I didn't know what to do!" Mag's voice was frantic; Cari could almost see her shaking violently as she struggled to tell the story. "Please just come, the doctors say she doesn't have much time!""Of course, just stay calm. Which hospital is it?"

"St...St...Michaels" Mag started crying as Cari quickly hung up the phone. She ran to the back room and grabbed her jacket. An angry voice called out as she ran out the door.

"Cari, where the hell are you going?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Sironi, but I have to go...You can dock my wages if you want I don't care!" She yelled behind her shoulder and quickly jogged up the street. The hospital was a good half-hour walk from the store so she would have to take the side streets to get there faster. It was just her luck that she was broke and had no money for a cab. Cari looked up at the darkening sky and took a deep breath. How many times had her mother warned her about staying on main well lit roads at night? Dismissing the warnings Cari turned down a small residential street. There was alley she was almost sure she could use as a short cut.

She hated these small streets. Most were well kept and the people friendly, but the closer you were to the heart of the city, the more sketchy some of these areas became. The street Cari was on was definitely eerie but she did her best to keep focus and walk in a fast pace. Cari knew that if she appeared confident, the chances of being approached were smaller. Too late did she notice a small group of men lounging on the porch of a slightly run down house. Too late did she realize that they had begun to follow her.

"Hey wait up!" one called out to you.

"Yeah, slow down, we want to...talk with you." this was followed by sounds of laughter. Cari's checks flared and she turned around to face them, but kept walking so she was now walking backwards. They were closer then she would have liked.

"Back off guys, I'm not in the mood!" She yelled at them, face red in anger. Cari glanced at her watch in frustration. This was wasting time. They laughed and quickened their pace. Turning around again, Cari quickened her pace.

"Oh come on, don't be like that! We only want to get to know you!" Cari couldn't help but let out a laugh as she yelled behind her shoulder.

"I don't have the time to get to know slime balls like you, now please go bother someone else." this was met by angry voices and her heart dropped as she heard their footsteps begin to change. Realizing that they were running towards her, she cursed and broke into a sprint. Cari was usually pretty fast, but the tight pencil skirt she wore for work limited her normally fast speed.

"She's faster then she looks guys!" She heard one of them laugh behind her, so she hiked up her skirt up a bit so she could run faster. The alley was now in view so she slightly changed her course. Her legs were beginning to tire. She could feel the pain starting to form in the back of her calves and thigh. A lump formed in her throat when she realized that she would have to stop soon. If she however, got onto a main street there would be too many people. The men knew this too and their shouts turned to anger when they realized where she was headed.

Cari's eyes widened when she finally reached the alley. The 'short-cut' had not become her saviour, but her demise. It had been blocked, and turned into a dead end. She could see construction machines behind the fence at the end and piles of boxes and crates were stacked up around it. There was no way she could hop the fence with what you were wearing. With desperation, she whipped her head around looking for a place to hide.

Running to the very end, Cari looked around for a good place to crouch. Noises behind her alerted her to the undesired presence. They approached slowly, knowing that she had nowhere else to turn. Knowing that she was trapped. Hot tears ran down her face as she leaned against a wall to steady her breathing. Looking up, Cari sent a call of help up to the heavens, praying that someone would hear. With that, she prepared to resign herself to her fate.

Suddenly her arm slid and she winced as it hit a latch. Glancing at the wall, she noticed that it was in fact a large metal door. Knowing that the chance of it being unlocked was slim, it was a feeble lifeline. Grabbing the latch anyway she pulled. To her surprise it swung open. Without another thought, she leaped inside quickly, shutting the door behind her. Cari collapsed on her knees in relief, but quickly sprang up. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at miles and miles of sand.

_Thanks for reading! So if you were wondering at the change in personality in Cari, remember that when she was with her cousins she's able to forget that's basically an adult. Now that she's back, she feels as if she's back to reality. Well stay in touch and check back for more ;)_


	3. Chapter 2: Discovery

**Secretly Wanted**: A Chronicle of Narnia

_**Hey Everyone, thanks for reading! **__If you're wondering why I managed to post three chapters in one day, well it's because I pre-wrote some of the story before I found out about Fanfiction. Anyway, I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does yet I thank him for inspiring me. This chapter we see Cari's previous personality starting to return. Please REVIEW and let me know what you think;)_

_**Chapter Two: Discovery**_

The hot sun made drops of sweat form on her forehead. The tears had long dried up with the hot sunshine. It was so hot in fact that Cari quickly removed her fall jacket and covered her head with it, hoping to provide some protection against the scorching sun. Slowly Cari turned around in a small circle, hand to her eyes.

"What in the world?" She murmured to herself. "I must be dreaming...this is impossible."She shrugged her shoulders and decided to take a few steps forward. If something happened, she could just go back through the... Cari turned around to see nothing except more sand. Where was the door?

"Oh no!" she cried and ran to the spot she assumed the door would be, "oh no, no, no!" throwing herself down onto the sand she began to dig, not caring that it would be pointless to do so. Unsure of how long she stayed there digging, Cari continued until her hand wrapped around a small pebble. Thinking it strange how a small pebble could be in a sea of fine grains of sand, she pulled out her dusty hand. In the palm she held a small stone the size of a dime, and the beautiful colour of a robin's egg. She stopped digging then to examine the stone. It felt cool in her palm and she smiled, feeling as though she were meant to find this stone. With her courage returning Cari laughed at how silly she had acted.

"If this is dreams then I have nothing to worry about." she spoke confidently out loud. The sun was lower in the sky, nearing the horizon and this troubled her. She knew that at night, a desert was a terrible place to be, as it was at night when most of the animals came out of hiding. She also knew that it would get substantially colder. Cari looked down at the stone and being alone directed her next question to it. "But which way should I go?"

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew against her face. Cari closed her eyes and let the welcoming breeze cool her hot face, it seemed to whisper.

"Ssssssssooooouuuuusssss" Cari's eyes snapped open and she looked around. The wind...it sounded almost like a word. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the whispering once again. "Sssoouutthh." yes that most definitely sounded like a word to her. It sounded like "south." Was the wind telling her to head south? She smirked at the possibility of the wind speaking, but then she stopped smiling. If this was a dream, why couldn't something like this happen? Yes it could be her imagination, it could even be signs of heat stroke, but she decided to head south anyway. She had nothing to lose in following the winds advice.

It was almost sunset when Cari spotted a green and blue area in the distance. She wondered if it could be a mirage then dismissed the notion. The sun was too low and it wasn't as hot as it used to be. Cari swallowed, her throat burned with thirst and she seriously hoped that this oasis was where the wind was leading her. If it was the wind and not her imagination that is.

Cari quickened her pace, trying not to stumble as her feet ploughed through the mounds of sand. She felt as uncomfortable as sand had found its way inside her shoes. In fact, it felt like sand had found its way into every crease and fold of her clothing. Walking in only her tank-top now and skirt, Cari couldn't wait to dip her feet in the water. She could almost feel the refreshing liquid comfort her weary toes. Licking her lips in anticipation, she imagined the cool liquid quench the fire in her throat.

Time seemed to slow down as Cari slowly reached her destination. She laughed in delight when approaching the water's edge. With shaking hands she dipped them into the cool water. As soon as she confirmed it as water, Cari dunk her entire face, gulping the water as fast as she could. She couldn't seem to get enough and probably wouldn't have stopped if a hand had not grabbed her shoulder and pulled her.

She gasped and immediately began a coughing fit as water entered her lungs. Gasping in pain, she turned to glare at the person who had shocked her, but her gaze froze. The man was large, with dark features half hidden by a wrap which covered his hair and the lower part of his face. Only his eyes and nose showed and he looked down at her with interest. Behind him were two caravans which each held a cage made of wood. There appeared to be figures moving inside them, but she wasn't sure if they were animals. Six other men and one woman stood either beside or on top of their camels. All were armed with curved looking daggers and swords.

"Had enough to drink?" the man asked with a sickening sweet tone, it was obvious to her that he was being sarcastic. She stopped coughing and rose to her full height of five feet, seven inches, but she still had to look up to him.

"Not quite." She managed to wheeze out, her throat had dried again, but this time it was not due to thirst.

"Rasheth, have you found another for us?" A gruff voice near one of the caravan's called. The tall man smiled savagely at her.

"Tash has provided for us yet again, a desert flower to add to our collection."

"What?" Cari shouted then tried to slowly back away from the man. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. She tried to pull from his grasp but he easily lifted her up to grab her by the waist. Throwing her over his shoulder he walked to the nearest caravan. Cari thrashed. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Put me down, I'm not luggage!"

"Your as good as it now." he replied smugly and forced her into one of the wooden cages. She then discovered that these cages held people. Dirty, tired people with little life left in their eyes. What was going on? Why did she always seem to fail to notice these dangers? Once again her ignorance had led her to fire. Then she laughed.

"Whatever, it isn't as though any of this real!" she said out loud to the tall man who had forced her into the cage. He stopped smiling and looked at her with a puzzled expression. "That's right! You're not real! None of you are, and soon, very soon I'll wake up and make myself some pancakes. Ha ha-" her voice had turned hysterical and she recoiled. The man had slapped her across the face.

"Wasn't that real?" he smirked then turned to mount the horse attached to the caravan. "Onward to Tashbaan! I hope you'll enjoy this dream of yours." Cari sat down and rubbed her check, ignoring his laughter. She didn't understand. If this was a dream than why was her check stinging? The other prisoners refused to meet her gaze. In fact they had all shied away from her thinking she was insane. She inspected herself. Her skirt had torn and was no longer white but a dusty brown. Her tank top had ripped slightly down the side and her bra strap had fallen to her shoulders. Her usual wavy hair; was flat and lifeless against her skin. She reached up to shake her hair, dislodging the sand that had clung to her roots. Her own hands were cracked and withered from the digging. If this was a dream, why did everything ache?

"This...is real?" her voice quavered, "You have to let me go. I have to go home!" he voice was no more than a whisper. She turned and grabbed the wooden bars of the cage. "Please, I have to go home!"

"You will be my dear." he answered, "once we reach the great city."

"You don't understand! I'm not from here! I'm Canadian! I need to get back to Toronto!" she practically yelled. From the corner of her eye she saw the other prisoners look dumbly at one another; another of the dark guards came closer to hear the strange conversation. Rasheth scratched at the wrapping of his head.

"Toronto? Hmm...never heard of that city before, must be in the north somewhere." he then shrugged and turned to her, "Shut up!" the force of his yell cause her to jump back in alarm. Cari fell into the arms of a prisoner and she whimpered as she tried to get away from her.

"Sorry." Cari mumbled and sat against the cage, knees to her face. With nothing else to do she drew out her blue stone and stoked it with her thumb. The wind howled outside as they slowly made their way towards Tashbaan. Cari closed her eyes and let the rocking of the caravan lull her to a troubled sleep. She tried not to think of the people she left behind, but she couldn't command her dreams.

A gentle shaking woke her from her sleep. Despite everything that had happened Cari had fallen into a deep sleep and woke refreshed. She yawned and stretched. Her hand hit wood and she frowned. Her heart sunk as she remembered everything that had happened. She tried to move but realized that her legs no longer responded so she massaged her legs to bring back the circulation. The same hand shoved her gently again. Cari looked up in annoyance then gasped. They had reached the city; in fact they were crossing a large bridge now. To her right and left she saw a huge wall supported with tall towers. The water below was murky however. She leaned back and turned to the small woman who had nudged her.

"Is this Tash...whatever?"

"Yes, this is Tashbaan, it is here where our future is decided." her voice was soft. Cari saw that she too had a dark complexion, although it was not as dark as Rasheth's or the others who guarded them. She looked at the other caravan and noticed that it held all males. The one she was in held females. Out of them all, she was the only one with pale skin.

"What's your name?" she asked the woman.

"Laraleen." she whispered. "But I don't think I shall have that name for much longer. I'm sorry for waking you, but I just wanted you to be prepared."

"Oh...thank you." Cari didn't know what to say. What should she be prepared for?

"My name's Cari by the way. I'm sorry if I seemed sort of well...crazy back there." The woman smiled.

"That's fine. You scared us all in fact. Can you imagine seeing a strange pale woman walk straight past you, like a banshee, and dunk her head in the water?" Laraleen told her with a small smile. "It was quite funny. Some of the others fell of their camels at the sight of you. Didn't you notice us at all?" Cari gave a small smile in return.

"No, I was so thirsty. All I could think of was the water." she laughed, "It's a good think Rasheth grabbed me when he did, I was just about to remove my clothing and go for a swim." Laraleen laughed. Cari stopped talking then and shifted closer to the cracks between the wooden bars. She was curious about this strange world she had entered.

Tashbaan seemed...crowded. The streets were full of people; there was only a small area for their group to manoeuvre through. On the sides were stores and homes. Every available place seemed to be taken either by people, animals or buildings. However there was greenery. Flowers and ivy hung from pots attached to the homes. A few trees managed to grow and provided shade for the children who played around them. Voices bombarded her hearing. Shouts, pleas and commands. Bargains and pleasant conversation. Points and laughter, mockery and suspicion.

Cari tried to see as much as she could but the spaces were small, limiting her vision. The people all seemed to be different shades of dark. She could tell that some where soldiers who tried to keep the crowd from the streets. Some dressed in finery, other's in rags. Cari was shocked however, when she spotted a few men with a skin colour that almost matched her own. There were only a few of them and they seemed to be searching for something. Or someone. It was easy to spot who they were as their clothing was also radically different.

Cari turned back to face Laraleen, she smiled.

"You seem amazed."

"This reminds me of the China I see in movies!" she responded with excitement. There was so much action and excitement in the air; it was hard not to respond to it. Laraleen looked at her with bemusement.

"China? Is that too in the north?"

"What? Oh no it's on the other side of the world, near India and Russia.... never mind." She stopped when she saw that her explanation was wasted on her. It was more obvious now that she definitely wasn't in her world.

"So you're not from Archenland then? Or even Narnia?" Cari jumped.

"Narnia? Narnia's near this place?"

"Well not exactly. It's in the north." Laraleen explained.

"So it's real..." Cari breathed. She had somehow come to the very same world which Uncle Digory, Peter, Lucy, Susan and Edmund had all visited. The stories of Eustace and Jill... they weren't only teasing her. The stories and adventures were all true. Or she could just be going crazy.

_Thanks for reading and staying with me. Hopefully I can put up the next chapter soon. Stay with me though and I promise I'll keep writing. For me and for you.:)_


	4. Chapter 3: Parting

**Secretly Wanted**: A Chronicle of Narnia

_Hello to those who are reading this! First I want to thank Leanora for rating____ I appreciate the comment____ So Cari is almost one hundred percent sure she's not dreaming and finally gets some information. Although as we all know, the truth isn't always pleasant. I don't own anything Narian except the characters I made up. Please REVIEW and have fun reading___

_**Chapter Three**_

Laraleen squeezed Cari's arm, tears in her eyes and her breathing raspy. Cari could feel the small woman trembling and she looked back at the other's who were kept in the same cage as them. All were either shaking or crying. A mother held onto her daughter and stroked her hair. She was whispering in the girl's ear. Cari slowly removed herself from Laraleen and went once again to the crack between the bars. They were approaching a small clearing. A stage made of wood rested in the centre of a moderately large crowd. A few buildings and tents surrounded the area. Cari was shocked at how spacious the area seemed.

The caravan and their party stopped a few metres from this stage and Cari now understood why the area was spacious. Guards approached Rasheth and his men, she strained her ears to try and hear what was being said but couldn't. She motioned for Laraleen to come join her and shifted painfully to make room for her. She had spent too much time in this cramped space and her body ached to have the room to properly stretch.

"What is this place?" she asked her new friend. The tears now ran freely down Laraleen's face.

"It is where we must say goodbye." she chocked. It suddenly dawned. These women were slaves...as was she. She looked back into the crowd and saw a mixture of finely dressed men and their slightly less lavish servants. She was to be sold. Her body tensed. No. She was a free citizen; she wouldn't allow herself to be treated as a slave, denied of her rights.

Cari sat down cross legged and crossed her arms. She pouted.

"Humph." she huffed out, Laraleen came and sat down next to her. Cari handed over the remains over her dirty blouse and Laraleen used it to dry her eyes before returning it. Cari put her arms through the light material and redid the remaining buttons. She tried to cover herself as much as possible, but her arms, legs and throat still showed as the blouse was a V-neck. "I'm not going to let this happen." she told her.

"There is nothing we can do Cari." Laraleen responded quietly, "the most we can do is hope that our new masters will treat us with respect."

"That's not true! We can-" her rebuttal was interrupted by the unlocking of the latch. A man from Rasheth's party entered and grabbed for Laraleen, Cari grabbed onto her friend but was pushed back. From behind the man, Cari saw Laraleen's hands become bound in a length of cord, and a thin collar was attached around her neck. She called out her friends name and saw her hopeless eyes star back at her. "Laraleen! Hold on!"

Cari tried to squeeze past the man but was unsuccessful. She felt him grab her shoulders and she tried to bite his arm. With her hands she scratched at him and fought until she felt a hard object smash against her skull. Faint with dizziness, she almost collapsed against her captor. Her hands were yanked and bound and a thin collar slipped around her own neck, powerless to stop any of it. The most she managed to achieve was to keep herself from vomiting.

Cari was forced up the wooden steps of the stage and cried out when her shin scrapped against the wood. Once again she cursed herself for wearing a skirt to work. How distant that memory seemed now, she and Mag walking down Yonge Street. All the carefree banter and teasing. How farther still were her memories of the time spent in Uncle Digory's sitting room. Sipping horrible tasting tea yet listening to the most fascinating stories ever told to her. Her desire to see Narnia was overwhelming now that she knew it existed. But first she had to somehow escape from her bondage.

Numbers shouted out at her as she was held by a rather burly looking man. With on last glare at her captor, she scanned the crowd. So many faces. They all blurred together in her mind. She didn't care who was shouting the numbers, she was trying to think and dispel the dizziness. Suddenly, her eyes locked onto the most brilliant and beautiful eyes she had ever seen. The owner seemed shocked as he too stared into her face. He had pale, lightly tanned skin, thick eyelashes and light hair which curled slightly and reached his chin.

She was shoved forward again and stumbled as a new wave of dizziness overcame her.

~*~

This first thing he thought of when he looked at this tired yet beautiful girl was that she was from another world. Her clothing was obviously foreign, and he did not know of a single area that dresses as she did. As soon as they dragged her from the cage he felt his heart stop. Unlike the others, her eyes burned with determination and he longed to help her as she struggled from her captor. When the club hit her on the head he cursed the man and had a strange desire to wring his neck.

He now listened to the conversation of those around him. Thanks to his disguise no one recognized him, but if he drew attention to himself his charade would surely be over.

"How strangely beautiful she is Tarkeen." A man whispered to his better, an overly dressed nobleman, He nodded in agreement.

"Dirty perhaps, but she intrigues me."

"What an addition she would make to your household. There aren't too many pale slaves in Tashbaan since the Narnian Revolution." the man continued, "You will be much envied."

"Buy her." he commanded and left the crowd to enter his litter. The young man with the blue eyes felt his face grow pale when he heard this. He knew this man and the cruel stories surrounding his reputation. He couldn't let her be sold to him. He knew that as soon as he spoke he would be recognized, but he didn't care.

"Thirty....do I hear a higher bid?" the man on the stage asked the crowd. The girls head rolled slowly from side to side, she seemed on the brink of collapse.

"Thirty-five!" the Tarkeen's servant yelled.

"Forty!" the man with blue eyes yelled back with a strong voice. Many faces turned to stare at him, including the girls. The young man secured his clock and stepped forward as if in defiance to the previous bidder.

"Forty-five!" the servant shouted back.

"Fifty!"

"Fifty-three!" another voice chimed in.

"Fifty-five!" shouted another. Clearly there were other Tarkaans who held the same opinions as the one he had overheard.

"Fifty-eight!"

"Eighty!" the crowd gasped at this high amount. No one moved to outbid his last offer. Many scowled at the Man with the blue eyes, he merely raised an eyebrow. The servant seemed unsure and glanced back to where the tarkhaan lounged inside his litter. He had been observing with an amused grin. He waved his hand and the servant smirked.

"One hundred!" he bellowed. The young man with blue eyes cursed and looked up at the girl with remorse. He couldn't go any higher. She offered him a weak smile before glaring first at the servant and then at her capture. He heard her yell and saw her try to break free, only to be stopped by the rope that had been attached to her collar. He watched, helpless as the servant made his way to the stage to collect the gasping girl. The crowd's attention now focussed on the next bid. From the corner of his eye, he could see the men he was trying to avoid rush towards him.

Mind made up, he lost himself in the crowd, and prepared to follow the Tarkaan's litter and escort.

~*~

Despite Cari's anger, she couldn't help to again be amazed by her surroundings. Despite her weakened state, she had been forced to walk behind the overly-dressed man's litter with the rest of his servants. With her hands she tugged at the collar around her neck. There was a deep red mark from when she had tried to pull away. How was she to know that they had attached a rope to the back of the collar?

As she walked across the bridge she breathed a prayer for Laraleen and asked the young woman to forgive her. She wasn't able to help her, but she hoped that her friend had been sold to a kinder man.

The party steered to the right. Cari noticed that they were headed towards the row of beautiful villa's and gardens which decorated the side of the river that appeared to be cleaner. This gave her a little bit of happiness in knowing that at least she would live in a place outside the walls of Tashbaan. That way it would be easier for her to escape. She spent her time trying to formulate a plan but her thoughts kept drifting back to the man with the beautiful blue eyes.

_I wish he had won_ this thought shocked her, but it was true. The thought of being owned by him at least didn't revolt her. Knowing that she had to serve the house of the pompous fool she was following made her checks red in shame. _No matter, in time I will be free again...and then on to Narnia._ She may as well since she was here, maybe she would meet with this Aslan she heard so much about. Her heart quivered in fear and excitement at the thought of meeting with the great lion. Maybe he would help her get home to her mother.

Cari let out a sob. Had her mother perished? If not, would she be able to see her before she did? Cari comforted herself with the information that Peter and Susan had told her. That no matter how long you stayed in Narnia, when you returned it would be like no time at all had passed.

So she decided to do as she was told, at least for now. She was told to enter a small house to the side of the large villa, and Cari complied. They removed the rope which bound her hands, but exchanged the collar with one that was thinner. Cari was then told to first eat while a woman worked out the tangles in her hair. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she ate the fruit offered and winced as the tangles were worked out of her hair. The next thing she knew was that she had been pushed into an even smaller room which contained a tub of water.

Fears were beginning to return to her as she scrubbed away the dirt. Would she even be able to escape from this place? Everything was so different, and even if she did escape, all she knew of this world was that Narnia was in the north. How large was the desert? Could she steal enough food for the journey? Or would she wander lost, and eventually die? This grim thought was interrupted when the same woman who had combed her hair, entered the room. Cari shrieked and sank deeper into the tub.

"Do you mind?" she snapped at the woman, "there is a wonderful word called 'privacy,' you should add it to your vocabulary!" the woman merely shook her head in pity and handed her a simple dress made of a light blue cloth.

"Put it on, then get some sleep." she ordered.

"Why? It's only noon!" Cari gestured out the small window to prove her point. Sunlight cascaded inside, illuminating the small room. The woman gave her a weary smile before collecting your clothing. "Leave the cloth bag!"She shouted as the little bag dropped from the skirt pocket. Laraleen had given it as a gift when Cari had shown her the blue stone. The woman shrugged then turned to answer her question.

"Rest up, you'll need your energy tonight... with the Tarkeen." then she left. Cari sprang up and grabbing the dress yanked it over her head. She kicked the tub before breaking down, and crying.

_Pretty bleak situation huh? And as I realize…ironic. Well thanks for reading an stay tuned___


	5. Chapter 4: Unnatural Decision

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone who is reading this____ I want to thank those who rated __Leanora__, __trichwin__ thank you! Sorry this took a little longer than usual. It may be a few days before I can post again as I'm off to Ottawa! Well have fun reading and remember, I own nothing Narnian except the characters I created (the one's you won't find in C.' books;)_

_**Chapter Four: Unnatural Decision**_

The man with blue eyes re-entered Tashbaan, satisfied that he now knew the location to where the girl was taken. He would have to wait a few more hours however, which irked him. He was an impatient man. Running through the streets, he cut through alleyways to quickly reach the large house where he and his party were staying. The guards near the door unsheathed their straight swords until he removed the hood of his cloak. The guards quickly lowered their swords in relief.

"Prince Rillian," one sputtered, "you've returned!" Rillian merely grimaced and quickly strode past them. He was in a hurry to speak with his captain. Dropping his cloak to the floor, he headed directly to the main room. Two men and a red dwarf were in a deep discussion around a table. A centaur stood to the side, eyes closed but one could tell that he too was involved in the discussion. A faun, badger and a servant girl were bringing a variety of food to the table. Rillian's stomach growled, he hadn't eaten in hours. The faun looked up and gasped when he saw him, causing the rest of the group to halt and stare at him too.

"So you finally had enough fun in the city?" A tall man asked sarcastically. Rillian could sense his anger, but he hid it well.

"Yes, actually. I have seen what I needed to see." Rillian ignored the obvious look of disapproval and relief that flittered across the faces in the room, and sat down at the head of the table. The faun quickly brought him a large bowl of soup and he smiled his thanks before devouring it. The room remained silent. When he had finished, he straightened in his chair and directed his next statement at a man with a short brown beard and tired eyes.

"Captain Artemis, I need you to prepare the ship. We're leaving tonight."

"What?!" the tall man cried and banged his fist on the table. Artemis however, perked up immediately. His face shown with relief and excitement.

"Of course sire, I shall set out immediately and see that we have adequate supplies." the captain rose from the table, "Gawain, I could use your assistance if I am to prepare the ship for tonight." The dwarf looked longingly at the food spread before him and sighed.

"Of course," he hopped down from the raised chair and followed the captain to the other side of the room. Before he left, he motioned for one of the fauns, "keep a large plate warm for me?"

"Of course! Did you want me to save you some desert as well?"

"Anything I can eat." The tall man cleared his throat. The dwarf left, shutting the door behind him. Rillian began eating the next course laid out for him. He was amazed at how much more flavour a meal had when you were ravenous with hunger.

"Do you care to explain your rash decision now?" the tall man prompted. Rillian reached for his water and took a large swing.

"I don't have the time." he replied curtly, "Lord Camion, be assured that I will explain later. But for now, just concentrate on loading our supplies and belongings onto the ship." Camion opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. His expression changed to one of worry as he stared into Rillian's calm eyes. Then he too stood up, nodded and strode out of the room. Rillian looked at the centaur and nodded.

"So I was right?" the centaur's mighty voice asked.

"I think so... we'll know for sure later tonight."

~*~

Dressed in black, Rillian and his companion slipped into the Tarkeen's estate. He heard the sound of trumpets and watched the city's draw bridge lift, securing the city.

Captain Artemis and the rest of the convoy had managed to secure and load their supplies on the _Dawn Breaker_ with time to spare. He would have to give the Captain a good review with his father's replacement when they returned. Down the river, he could see a single light floating on the water. Everything was ready, now all he needed to do was to find her.

"Hear anything?" he asked the red-tailed fox beside him.

"A lot actually. You'll have to be a bit more specific." Chime gave him a slanted smile, then flicked his ears towards the house, "hmm, seems to be some sort of commotion...there is a lot of running."

"The guards?"

"I think so, the footsteps are heavy so they're most likely armed. We should move carefully." the fox walked soundlessly in front of him and he followed to the best of his ability. "Wait here Sire." they hid behind a large pillar just in front of the entrance. Almost immediately two guards came into view and they moved to the right to stay hidden. Luckily they were close enough to hear the guard's mumbled conversation.

"Most funny when you think about it." one of the guards chuckled, "One hundred pieces I heard he spent on this wench."

"Either she is incredibly intelligent and found means to escape, or incredible foolish." the other responded in agreement, "it won't take long to find her. I don't believe the Tarkhaan will show pity on her when we do."

"When you speak of him, I almost hope that we won't find this girl." The man's voice grew steadily softer as he and his partner ventured further into the gardens. Rillian glanced down at Chime.

"I didn't expect this." he commented.

"Perhaps it would be better if I was to quickly search inside, and you the outside Sire." replied the fox, "I doubt that she remained inside but I have a less chance of being spotted. Not to mention the fact that you make too much noise when you move."

"Seriously? I was hoping that I had improved my stealth."

"Don't take it personally," the fox chuckled, "all you humans are pretty clumsy when you attempt to be silent." he then disappeared into the villa. Rillian paused to think.

The road would be the most obviously place to look, but with Tashbaan closed he doubted that she would try and enter the city. He looked down towards the river. The greenery would be an ideal place to hide, but to stay hidden over night? Nonetheless, he decided to slowly make his way down to the river front.

Using the many decorative trees and plants as coverage, his patience began to wane. There were too many guards for him to move quickly. To his left he noticed a small house. Keeping low he reached the side and peered into the small window. Inside showed a large kitchen. It was empty sole for one older woman who was too busy cleaning the floors to notice him. Rillian backed away and rubbed his face in frustration. This was taking longer than he hoped.

Suddenly he heard a rustling behind him. He spun around in time to catch a hand before it had time to strike him. Twisting the felons arm and forcing the figure against the wall of the house, he retrieved his own knife and held it to the figures throat.

"Who are you and what do you want?"He hissed into the figures ear. When he leaned in soft hairs brushed his check and the sweet smell of flowers enveloped his senses. _Was this a woman?_ He smacked the persons arm so the hand dropped the knife and spun the figure around to face him.

Staring back at him with wide frightened eyes was the girl he sought.

~*~

Cari was terrified. That is, until she was spun around and faced the man with the brilliant blue eyes. At least she hoped it was him, the moon was only beginning to emerge from the clouds.

"Finally," he breathed and moved away from her. His hand however, remained tightly around her arm. "Come on, we have to go." Cari however, held her ground as he tried to yank her towards the river.

"Why, where are you taking me?" she whispered, "and why should I follow you?"

"I'm taking you away from this place. Somewhere safe. Now please just come." his voice grew agitated, she still refused to move. Suddenly the man tensed and he shoved her into some bushes. Cari cried out in pain but his hand quickly covered her mouth, muffling the noise. His hand wrapped around her shoulder to keep her from moving. She struggled anyway. Cari stopped when she heard the heavy footsteps of a soldier. The man had saved her from discovery. Releasing her mouth he looked at Cari. His face seemed to say "are you ready to trust me now?" she nodded.

Suddenly, Cari felt something furry brush against her legs and she jumped against the man. He chuckled,

"So you managed not to get caught." he addressed the furry animal that now crouched beside them.

"And you managed to find the girl," the animal turned to her and Jaz was now able to see the outline of a foxes face. "Hello." Cari covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. A talking beast!

"Are you from Narnia?" she silently asked the duo.

"Where else would you find a talking beast?" the fox answered in a cheerful tone, "Certainly not among the dumb animals here in Calormen, that's for sure."

_Hey so thanks for reading! And stay tuned, apparently Cari being here is anything but an accident.;)_


	6. Chapter 5: Safe Passage

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading____ I don't have much to say here except I'm sorry that this took me a while to update. The mini vacation was fun although the 'getting there' part was pretty stressful. I don't own Narnia, only my characters. Please Rate and enjoy;)_

_**Chapter Five: Safe Passage**_

"We're almost there, just stay behind me." the man whispered to her. She grimaced and tried to ignore the uncomfortable squishy sound of her bare feet against the mud. Cari hissed and reached down awkwardly to cradle her foot. She had just stepped on some particularly jagged rocks. But the man guiding her refused to let her nurse her wound and continued to pull her along towards the light.

They had been slowly making their way towards this light for the past twenty minutes. The Talking Fox had proved his worth many times over as he constantly warned and prevented them from being seen. Cari was still trying to recover from her amazement. A talking animal! How many times had she imaged meeting one? Ever since Lucy told her the story of the wardrobe she supposed.

"Sire, there are two men near the boat," Chime the talking red-tail's voice spoke suddenly.

"The light must have finally drawn suspicion. We took too long." The man cursed, "If it's extinguished...we need to get them away from the boat."

"We need a distraction," Cari added. "Please, let me go. I'd rather neither of you get caught because of me. I would feel so guilty." She added silently. The man laughed softly.

"A little too late for that I'm afraid." the small party slowed and crouched behind a tall group of reeds. Cari saw the silhouettes of two men make their way to the water's edge. She could clearly see the small lantern that they had been running to. She glanced towards the man and saw him having a silent conversation with the fox. The fox gave him a merry grin and slipped away through the reeds. "Try to make as little noise as you can." he told her.

"How do you think I was able to sneak up on you." she smiled. Despite the apparent danger, she couldn't help but feel happiness. Her hand felt warm in his and the tingling sensation that she experienced when they first touched still hadn't left her. He smiled back and carefully drew some of the reeds to the side so they could inch their way to the boat.

A shout made Cari's head turn. The two silhouettes were running away from the shore. She looked back at the man, confused. The man let go of her hand then and quickly found the rope securing the boat to the shore. He held his hand out and she let him help her inside the bolt.

"Chime!" he called in a loud whisper.

"Right here sire, my how these men are cowards at night." he remarked as he hopped in beside Cari. "I blame those ghost stories they love to bore each other with."

The man grabbed the oars and began to row down the river. Cari felt a weight lift from her as she watched the gardens disappear. She stretched happily and leaned back with a sigh.

"Are you glad you trusted me now?" he asked her. Cari nodded happily. Words couldn't express how she felt at this moment. As the wind tickled her face she too felt light as air. Her hand pulled the thin cord around her neck and she cradled the small pouch in her hand. Sitting up, she grasped the edge of the boat. Regret filled her as she thought of the small woman who had given it to her.

"What were the chances of me escaping captivity alone if you hadn't helped?" She asked thoughts on Laraleen. She needed to know if there was a way that she too might be able to escape and return to a free life.

"Slim but not impossible." he responded, her heart lifted. "Although, where one would go is another story altogether. Not many Calormene's venture north to Narnia. We're considered barbarians to them."

"Barbarians my paw! They fear what they don't understand." Chime added.

"Well that's only natural," she defended. "You don't know what to expect so obviously you would be more suspicious and cautious. It's self preservation."

"You know for someone who just went through a terrifying ordeal, your quite...calm." The man commented. Cari shrugged happily,

"I think I'm just in denial right now." she stopped smiling then and pulled again at the collar around her neck, it was beginning to become a nervous habit. She felt the thin band and thought of her fellow prisoners who were left behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the young man row the boat. With the moonlight she was able to see that he was slim, but muscular. She remembered how easily he has able to stop and disarm her and wondered who exactly he was.

"Um...I'm sorry but I don't think we've introduced ourselves." in fact she found it quite funny how she had agreed to escape with a man and a fox, without knowing who exactly they were. If she were back in Toronto she would call herself stupid, But she wasn't in Toronto. She was in the land through the wardrobe. "I'm Carilyn."

"Carilyn... that's...different," Chime stated. Cari raised her eyebrow before again reminding herself that she was in a different land. She found it odd how she kept forgetting this feature. Even when she first arrived, she hadn't felt fear. She felt as though deep down she already was familiar with this world. Like there already was a niche here for her to fill. She did not feel foreign.

"Yes well...I didn't really have a say in the matter." Cari commented sleepily. "Just, please call me Cari. I like that better.

"I can see why." Chime chuckled but quieted quickly when she mock glared at him. She looked towards the man. He seemed a bit reluctant to say anything.

"Rillian." he finally stated. Suddenly they were engulfed in a deep shadow. Rillian looked up and breathed deeply before letting the boat drift. She turned and stared wide eyed, at a large ship. The dark form made her feel uncomfortable. She could feel the nausea returning and wondered if she really was in a delayed shock. Knowing that she would once again be travelling to a strange place made her palms sweat and she began to shiver. Cari looked back at Rillian who had taken a hold of the ropes thrown over the ship, and was busy attaching them to their little rowboat.

With shaking hands she reached to attach one of the ropes to a ring on the side of the boat, as she saw him do. Cari stopped when Rillian came to her side to help. He grabbed her hand gently and looked into her eyes.

"Your shaking," he commented.

"I...I don't know why...I," she stopped to take a few deep breaths "I c..can't seem to st...stop sh..sh...shaking."

"I'm guessing your denial finally turned to shock." the boat gave a lurch and Cari fell forward into Rillian's arms. He grabbed hold of her small waist to steady her. The boat slowly rose up. The higher they went, the more voices she heard. They were muted of course, but she still felt a sense of urgency. Her head began to spin and her vision became unfocussed for a few seconds at a time before returning.

"It's...nothing." She breathed as she clutched his arms. She then threw his arms off her and straightened her posture. Rillian stared at her with raised eyebrows. As the light from the ship lit her face, his eyes widened slightly. Cari's face was pale, her eyes seemed a tad feverish. He realized that the stress of her experience must have finally conquered her body's strength. She needed a good rest.

A crowd waited to welcome them. Chime jumped gratefully from the small boat and strode to where a dwarf and badger stood, conversing silently. Pleasantries were exchanged before their attention turned towards the stranger. An assortment of people stood around them. Cari could see that it was mainly men who worked the ship, but three more finely dressed men stood a little ways in front from where she and Rillian now were, in front of the rail. Besides the dwarf with Chime, there were two more that stood with the three men.

She reached out and grabbed onto Rillian's arm to steady herself. Another wave of dizziness had hit her, and she waited until her foggy eyes cleared again before offering greeting them with a bright smile. They were her rescuers after all.

"Thank you." She said quite clearly before finally giving into her weak legs. She let her weary body slump down towards the ship's deck, finally feeling completely safe.

_Thanks for reading everyone and please stay tuned;)_


	7. Chapter 6: Lies of Protection

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading and staying with me for so long:) I'm doing my best to update as often as I can and for those reading, I hope I'm not disappointing you. Anyway, have fun reading because I'm having fun writing this and please REVIEW and let me know what youthink;)_

_**Chapter Six: Lies of Protection**_

"So you believe that this is the girl?"

"Hmm..."

"Your highness?" Cari heard a quiet chuckle.

"I'm not sure to be honest." It was the man with the blue eyes...Rillian... why did he seem so distant? She wondered. Her reality was a haze. A blue fog with darkening forms that seemed to form and dissipate with the blink of an eye. In this reality, she had no body. She had no strength and no voice...only memories. Yet as she travelled through this haze with only her conscious, even her memories began to dissipate. The one thing she remembered clearly, and continued to remember was the man with the blue eyes...Rillian.

"Sire, her eyes are flickering."

"Is she starting to wake?"

"Yes I believe so... I'll leave. Try not to disturb her too greatly. Perhaps it would be wise to ask the questions later." _Questions? What questions? Who was this new voice_?

With each new question, the dark forms began to stabilize and remain for a few moments longer. Soon she was able to visualize her surroundings as she opened her eyes slowly.

"Oh..." she sighed. She was exhausted. Cari felt as though all her energy had been spent foraging through her murky mind. The room cleared slowly. The first thing she noticed was the low ceiling.

A single lantern swayed jauntily above, causing the shadows of the room to shrink and elongate. The room she was in was small. The walls bent at a slight angle until it reached the wooden ceiling. It was like she was inside a small wooden crate. There was a small window, but it was covered with a curtain of cheerful yellow material. In fact, the room as a whole was rather cheerful. She felt as though she were packed comfortable in this crate. For protection rather than imprisonment. Cari trained her eyes towards the looming man to the side of her cheerful bed. She smiled shyly.

"Good your awake." he answered with a smile. A wave of relief seemed to wash over him. Cari wondered what had happened to make him so nervous in the first place.

"If you don't mind me asking the obvious question...where am I?" he laughed

"Yes I suppose that would be the first words to come out of my mouth too." He said between his laughs.

"Okay, enough with the laughter." Cari said after a few more seconds of his joyful voice. Truthfully, she didn't mind that he laughed, she enjoyed its sound. It was deep, light and seemed to bounce. She decided that she really didn't mind him laughing at her, if she got to hear his laugh. "Can you answer the question?" She almost snapped. He subsided.

"Two seconds awake, and your already back to normal."

"You just met me, how could you know what my normal is?" He shrugged, his eyes seemed thoughtful.

"Would it be strange to say that I just have this feeling?"

"Would it be strange to say I think your laugh is bouncy?" she replied with a laugh. He smirked at me in confusion then laughed.

"How can a laugh be bouncy?"

"I don no." Cari said in a cute little voice. She then shook her head with a smile. "In all seriousness...where am I?" Rillian looked at her strangely. Cari gestured for him to sit on her bed. He sat on the edge. She hoped he wouldn't fall off; the bed was kind of small. She shrugged and figured that it matched the size of the rest of the room so it really didn't matter.

"You don't remember?" Cari shook her curls with a hand, closing her eyes.

"I think so...I...I don't...no it's there...I think." Cari opened her eyes and smiled apologetically. "Everything is still a little fuzzy from before."

"Before?"

"Let's just say that up until now my 'reality' has been more than a little surreal." Cari stretched her arms, throwing them high above her head. She let out a sigh of happiness. "It's nice to see clearly again. Now about those explanations."

"Right, so I suppose you might be wondering why everything in this room is sort of...small...."

"I admit the thought has crossed my mind." he chuckled. Cari was really enjoying their casual conversation. Excluding the fact that she had little idea where she was, as well as the fact that there was a strange if not appealing man with her when she was barley dressed, she felt relaxed. Her sleep had left her more refreshed then she had ever been before.

"Well this room belongs to one of the fauns, Finnigus to be exact." Cari quickly sat up in alarm. She covered her mouth with a hand. "What?"

"Did I steal someone's room?" His bouncing laughter erupted from his lips. He gently pushed her back down against the fully pillows.

"No, you didn't steal a room, he gave it you."

"Really? But where is he staying?"

"Don't worry about those fauns, there incredibly resourceful." he said casually, "you're on a ship... the _Dawn Breaker_ to be exact." Cari slowly nodded.

"Yes I think I remember something or other about a boat."

"Ship"

"Whatever." he chuckled again. Cari slowly realized that her hazy world was in fact a dreamlike trance. She glanced at Rillian's blue eyes. How long was I asleep?"

"Asleep? More like sick. You had a terrible fever for a few days." he said it so silently that although it was over, Cari still felt the fear of the situation. They were silent for a few seconds. Rillian stared off into space, his hand plucking the loose threads of the blanket. "It was an experience I never want to go through again. The heelers kept telling me you had this fifty-fifty chance. Some days you showed signs or progression, then quickly you would get worse. It as a relief...when the fever finally broke." he said this all with a distant voice. It was clear to Jaz that he was reliving the moments of her illness.

"How long?" she asked quietly.

"Five days...we're almost at Narnia." This perked her up and she visibly brightened. She couldn't help but grin and clasp her hands in delight. Rillian's own mood brightened in seeing her so happy. The quiet remembrance disappeared with her obvious excitement.

"Narnia!" she squealed. "Am I really going to see Cair Paravel? The Castle by the sea?"

"Um...not exactly."

"Huh?"

"Well, the original Cair Paravel was attacked. The ruins are pretty cool though."

"Ruins?" Jaz searched her foggy memory. She briefly recalled hearing stories about Narnia. She had spent a grand afternoon with Edmund and Susan as they took her on her first ride in the 'tube.' During her excitement she remembered Edmund spinning a story about being called from the tube station into Narnia. Susan went along saying how it was a shock to see their beloved castle in ruins. Apparently a few hundred years had passed since their last visit to the strange and mystical land. "Yes...i remember." She said slowly.

"What?!" Rillian cried, jumping and falling off the small bed with a crash. "Shit!"

"I had a feeling that that was going to happen." Cari said thoughtfully She leant over and saw that he had fallen to his side; hard. He was rubbing his head, a look of pain etched on jis face. She figured he probably bashed his head against the side table. The room was too small."Are you okay?"

Rillian sprang up from his previous position, eyes wide in question. With both hands resting on her bed he lent so that their faces were only a few inches apart. Once again she was struck by the brilliance of his bright blue eyes. She noted that he was a very handsome man and this feat made her blush. She hoped that she didn't look too bad; it had been apparently days since she last took a shower. His disarrayed hair lay softly in front of his eyes and she had a strange urge to brush it away; to caress his face.

"How do you 'remember' it? Were you there? Who are you?" he said all this in a rush, breathing fast and deep. She moved away from him until her back hit the ship's wall. His gaze was penetrating her. It seemed as though he was trying to read her very soul and she didn't like this. She preferred to be a private person with her personal life.

"Um...can you repeat the first one? Unfortunately I'm not fluent in gibberish." Rillian blinked and in an instant, returned to his previous calm state. Yet she could see that he couldn't rid himself him a look of awe. She raised an eyebrow. Why was he so awed by here? She was really nothing special. Especially now, since she had shed her "modern" clothing for a much more soft and luxurious night gown. She than wondered how this extremely soft and luxurious nightgown got on her. She looked at Rillian with a red face, praying it wasn't he who helpedher.

"Who. Are. You?" he repeated again. A lot more slowly, but with an undertone that screamed impatience. Cari swallowed the lump that had formed in her thought and eyed her saviour nervously. Should she let this stranger know? Should she tell him the truth? She mentally chuckled, imagining his reaction. She'd probably be deemed insane and thrown overboard or something.

This man had saved her life. But that didn't mean she trusted him.

"I already told you. My name is Cari." Rillian's jaw clenched, his hand clenched into a fist. She should have been imitated she supposed. She could see that he was struggling with anger right now. But why? What did she do?

"I know that. I mean who are you? Where are you from?" Rillian looked at her expectantly. His eyes were brimming with hope and excitement. It clashed with the angry posture he held. Cari blinked and chose the natural option.

"I don't know." Rillian's body literally dropped. He ran his hand through his hair in bewilderment, making it even more dishevelled. Again Cari bit back the urge to reach and touch him. She didn't know this man. She needed to keep herself safe. She needed to reach Narnia. "I would like to sleep now."

Suddenly he stood and looked at her with indifference. It was a mask. It barely succeeded in hiding his confusion and disappointment.

"Whenever you're ready just ring the bell. Your food will be brought shortly after that." And with one last look, he strode from her room. She was safe yet again.

_Now you may think her to be a bit of a coward for not telling the truth, but honestly would you have? Remember she just met the guy;) thanks for reading and stay tuned_


	8. Chapter 7:Reasons

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) I know this took me a little longer than usual but I'm quitting my job (Wednesday's my last day whoopey____) so my boss piled on the shifts until then:P afterwards though I have so much more time! Anyway, enjoy the next chapter, remember that I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does and REVIEW _

_**Chapter Seven: Reasons**_

Cari allowed herself another hour of rest before ringing the small silver bell. The sound calmed her instantly. Her hour of rest was more of a disillusion than reality. She had spent her hour pacing, alternating between pinching herself and sending silent prayers of thanks. Every now and then she would stop and break out into a smile, muffling laughter. She had to be going insane right? But then again, one doesn't admit to going insane. Experiences like hers didn't just happen, they couldn't yet it did. To Lucy and Edmund.

All the stories she'd been told...must have been true. She knew that it should be impossible but there was something in her very being that helped her to believe. Maybe it was the desire for it to be true, maybe it was the complete happiness she felt when thinking of Narnia or the comforting feeling of going home.

Cari let her mind wander to the many pleasant days she had spent with her cousins. She remembered Eustace and Jill's story only fleetingly. They had been on a quest to save a prince. She couldn't remember the prince's name but when she heard Rillian speak his it seemed so familiar. Could Rillian have been this prince? But this adventure happened months ago according to Eustace. Edmund had told her that years have passed between his visits to Narnia. But time in this land compared to time in her world seemed sporadic. How many Narnian days have passed since Eustace and Jill left? Twenty? Seventy-five? A year?

Suddenly a tentative knock sounded on her door. A Cari rose cautiously.

"Y-yes?" She briefly stuttered, than pressed a hand to her forehead to clear her cloudy mind.

"Miss? It is Finnigus the Fawn, I'm here with some breakfast for you." Cari immediately unlatched and threw open the door, surprising the poor fawn. He jumped back but the contents of the tray he carried stayed miraculously put.

"Great! I'm starving!" the fawn gasped and quickly bustled into the room, thrusting the tray in her hands before turning around.

"Oh no how terrible!" he shouted, eyes frantic "Quick, eat it all up and i'll be back with more faster than you can bat an eye." He was about to run out of the room when Cari grabbed his arm, the other balanced the tray. He thought she was being serious and laughed.

"Don't panic!" she laughed, the fawn stared at her in surprise. "It's only a figure of speech; I'm not actually starving, just really hungry."

"Oh thank Aslan, i would hate it if something terrible would have happened to you."the fawn held asmall hand to his curly chest, breathing deeply. Cari put the plate down on the table besidethe small bed.

"Um, thanks for your concern...i suppose." Were all Narnian's this kind and caring? She wondered. The fawn seemed generally relieved.

"Oh well Prince Rillian would have had my head if anything bad happened to you. I promised to care for you after all." Cari stumbled.

"Would he really 'have your head?'" she asked in a small voice. She never imagined that the semi pleasant man she had conversed with could be so cruel. Yet she barely knew him. It was possible. This time the fawn laughed.

"A figure of speech madam." She laughed with him.

"If you need me, just ring the bell." He said as he once again headed out the door. "There's some clothing in the trunk there for you."

"Finnigus?"

"Yes my Lady?"

"Thank you...for sacrificing your room for me." The fawn smiled brightly, checks red. He waved away her gratitude and exited the room.

The food was delicious. On the tray Finnigus had placed three thick pieces of bread, toasted to a golden perfection. There were two small cups of jam; blueberry and strawberry. She was also given two different beverages, a sweet and fruity cool drink that immediately quenched her thirst and a warm, slightly bitter drink that tasted vaguely of coffee but with a minty touch of flavour. An apple was also sliced and ready for her. She had never tasted one so crisp and fresh.

The clothes in the trunk were practical. A simple dress had probably belonged to one of the servant girls on board the ship. It had long sleeved that flared out slightly as it reached her hands, and a scoop neckline. The style may been simple, but the fabric was as soft as cashmere but more durable. She quickly dressed. It was a tad too short and the hem was only grazing the ground, but other than that it fit perfectly. She wrapped a beautiful embellished belt around her waist to complete the outfit.

When she finished admiring the clothing she let herself think of the problem at hand. She had lied. The occupants of this ship had been nothing but kind to her yet she had lied. Cari sighed and moved to exit the room. She couldn't exactly tell the truth, but she had to tell Rillian something. That and she were curious about the ship. She had never been in one so large. She decided to explore.

~*~

"The ship seems to be a merchant's vessel and it is of Northern making."

"And you are telling me that it turned its course around completely?" Lord Camion's voice bellowed but he was not yelling. He was merely a loud man. Unlike Cari's room the meeting room was spacious. It contained a table large enough to fit ten people. The walls were decorated with paintings of the Narnian landscape and the windows were large enough that there was enough morning light to fill the room without lighting any lanterns. Rillian concentrated on the features of the room rather than the conversation. Although he appeared inattentive, he still listened, he always listened. He merely pushed the conversation farther in his mind.

He had been excited when she awoke. He had been hopeful and so sure of himself. Now he was in doubt...and confused. He didn't like this. Why did she clearly lie to him? I thought they had established that she could trust him back in Tashbaan, he didn't know what more to do to gain her trust.

"Prince Rillian? Which course of action shall we take?" Lord Camion's voice interrupted him and Rillian narrowed his eyes in annoyance. The Lord's voice was tense, he saw that his charge refused to pay attention to the conversation so his question was punishment. But Rillian was not to be embarrassed.

"Narnian Code of Law, 202 section 3 states that any vessel within and in a 100kilometre radius of Narnian water must be flagged with some form of identification. Failure to do so results in the risk of being considered pirates and either questioned or attacked." He glanced up and the two men meet. Rillian stared at Camions slightly flushed face coolly. "The ship, changed its course completely and is trying to run from us."

"I agree that it is most suspicious." Gawain's gruff voice sounded, he nodded to Rillian, supporting him. "Their previous course would have them bypass us."

"One must assume three things then." Rillian continued, he leaned back in his chair in a slumped position and held up a finger. "One, the crew ran out of provisions and must return to whence they came."

"Unlikely, they would have turned west and traveled inland." The Captain contributed, the other four men followed the conversation silently. Rillian nodded in agreement and held up a second finger.

"Two, they got lost." He said this with raised eyebrows, the only way one would be lost in these waters would be if the crew was stupid enough to travel with no navigation tools. He held up a third finger. "Lastly...their hiding something."

"So we give chase?" The Captain asked, eyes shining in excitement. Rillian nodded again.

"We give chase." The Captain sprang from his chair and immediately made for the door.

"I will immediately direct the crew. Full speed ahead!" Rillian smirked. The Captain's enthusiasm amused him. He was glad however that his ship's captain so loved action and adventure. He was a great contrast to Lord Camion, who stayed silent. The man stood and with a long look at Rillian, exited the room as well. Gawain gave a gruff that sounded vaguely of excitement.

"May as well give the old bugger a hand." Then the dwarf too excited the room. Rillian sighed and turned one of his most trusted companions.

"You spoke with her then?" The mighty centaur spoke with a clear voice. Rillian cast his gaze downward.

"It didn't exactly go as I hoped."

"What happened?"

"She doesn't know." He spat with anger. Rillian abruptly stood from his chair, causing it to topple over with a crash. He faced the centaur, shaking with concealed rage. "how could she 'not know?' She has to be the one from the star's prediction! Who else could it be? I've only seen two other like her in my life and you know what became of that." The centaur's eyes flashed.

"It is not a prediction." He spoke loudly. Rillian took a step back. Ovarius did not anger easily. "The stars spoke the truth: _The Kingdom of Narnia in need once more, a daughter of Eve with heart of child and friend of wind is beckoned from beyond the land of the east._ You are indeed correct."

"Than why doesn't she admit to it?" He rebuked in desperation. Was it wrong for him to feel so hopeful? He desperately wanted to believe that he was right, but it was hard. Rillian moved towards the door and yanked it open. He gaped. Staring back at with wide frightened eyes was the girl who had angered, puzzled and amazed him.

"C..Cari!" he stuttered. As soon as he spoke her name, she jumped and ran from him. Rillian turned back to Ovarius with shock. "She...she heard that?" the centaur almost chuckled with the young princes surprise. He slowly walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I will speak with her." And with that he left. Strong hooves echoed through the ships' interior.

_I'm sorry if the prophesy seems a bit tacky but I'd rather not rhyme and make it seem even tackier:P thanks for keeping with me;)_


	9. Chapter 8: Killing Curiosity

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) My last day of work was yesterday! Yeah! now I have a good two weeks before I leave for school, I hope to post a lot more chapters before that and (unlikely optimism) maybe finish. No promises though. Anyway, I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does, and please REVIEW:)_

_**Chapter Eight: Killing Curiosity**_

Curiosity killed the cat. She knew this. She knew that in every situation one eavesdropped there were consequences, that there are some things that need to be private and aren't meant to be shared. When she stumbled onto the meeting she managed to leave without anyone noticing her. Then she heard Rillian's voice, his deep, powerful voice that seemed to hold some sort of power over her. She was drawn to the conversation; to him.

It was hard work hiding when the men suddenly strode out of the room. She was lucky that the hall itself was dark and that she was able to hide in a nook in the wall. She should have left then. The conversation was over and she had the chance to escape. But Rillian was still inside...and the centaur. She was curious about him, as she had never seen a creature so proud and strong. Everything was too new for her not to be curious.

"How could she not know?" She heard him yell and she cringed. It was her fault. She had lied. Yet how could she have told the truth. Their voices were muffled by the door but this did not stop the words from meeting her. "Who else could it be? I've only seen two other like her in my life and you know what became of that." The words stopped her. He was talking about her...right? Who did she think she was?"

"It is not a prediction."The centaur was angry now too. His anger was so much more frightening than Rillian's. It was a calm rage, one which promised retribution. "The stars spoke the truth: _The... Narnia in need... a daughter of Eve with heart of child and friend of wind...the land of the east._ You are indeed correct."

Silence. A brief moment of silence. Cari pressed her ear against the door quietly. Curiosity ignited a small fire inside her at first, now it was an inferno. What was this prophesy? Why was she so important to Rillian?

"Than why doesn't she admit to it?" Rillian finally yelled. Cari froze and almost fell as the door was yanked open. She stood face to face with him. Frightened liquid hazel clashing with icy blue. She stepped back, hand to her chest. She was breathing hard. He too seemed stunned and for an eternity it seemed, he captured her in his gaze. Rooting her to the spot. She had been caught.

"C...Cari?" he spoke in surprise. His strong voice snapped the chords he had on her and she broke away. With one last gaze she turned tail and ran. Strong hooves echoed throughout the ship.

~*~

"Why do you hide young one?" A mighty voice pleaded, no commanded her to turn and face him. She had run up on deck, hoping for some time alone. That was a mistake. It seemed as though the entire crew was above deck. They were fiddling with ropes and pulleys, pulling open sails or moving booms. Cari had forgotten that they were now trying to catch a ship. So she had painted a smile on her nerve wracked face and slowly made her way to the front of the ship. There it was empty and she could hide her lying face with her back turned.

But the mighty centaur had followed. She didn't exactly know why but she supposes that they still needed answers from her. Cari took a few calming breaths. She was strong; she could face him without quivering. She needed answers too after all. She faced him with a raised head, determined to seem strong. That way she could be fool herself as well as the centaur.

"I'm not hiding. This ship isn't that big so even if I wanted to there wouldn't be a good place to hide."

"So why did you run?"

"I needed some air." She turned to face the ocean. "I find that the fresh air helps make the world seem less...confusing." She heard horse hooves hit the hard wood. From the corner of her eye she noted that he was now next to her.

"So you find this confusing?"

"I find this all too unbelievable." She muttered then turned to face the wise being. " look sir, I understand that you think I'm someone important but there is no reason!"

"Young one, there is a reason for everything."

"No, there is no reason to me being here. This..." she pointed to herself and then around her, "me in Narnia....it was an accident!" A flutter of a smile came to the centaur's serious face.

"There are no accidents in life either young one."

"I'm not young..."

"Young one your time in life has only begun, like the prince himself, you both have much to learn." Cari's checks flushed in irritation. She placed both hands on her hips.

"Well why don't we start my 'education' on an explanation on this so called prophesy."

"It is truth. Narnia may not seem in trouble at the surface, but underneath the mask there is unease." He nodded towards the ship they were chasing. Once far into the distance, a dark blur among the rolling waves of the blue sea, was now a clear image. They were getting so close. "Each time a son of Adam and daughter of Eve come to our world, problems are solved and Narnia enters a time of peace once again. Each child has a mission, a task set upon them from the great Lion himself"

"Okay, but I was never given a 'mission' and I haven't even seen Aslan yet." The Centaur took a step back, alarmed. His eyes were wide and searching. Searching for any lies that might show on Cari's face. He found nothing, and this alarmed him.

"This is very...strange." Then he stood straighter, lost in thought. "Yet there have been stranger things. Each time, each tale is unique. I suppose we need to be patient." Cari stomped her foot, trying to grab the Centaur's attention.

"Please, you don't understand! I can't be the person you want me to be! I'm not going to solve any problems alright? All i want is to be in Narnia. That is all I've ever wanted!" She spun and grasped the rail of the ship until her knuckles turned white. Then she slowly relaxed. She was being too harsh, yet she hated the idea of being forced into something she wanted no part of. "Look...I admit that right now I'm being selfish but this is like a dream come true for me..."

"One cannot escape one's fate young one." Cari sighed dramatically and slouched over the rail.

"What is it with Narnian's and fate?" she said, exasperated. She was beginning to miss the practical minds of the twenty-first century.

Suddenly, with a rush of sound, she was forcefully grabbed and pulled away from the rail.

"Wha-" a loud crash interrupted her protest and her mouth was filled with salt water. She felt the sting seep through her new clothes, immediately drenching her to the bone. Two warm arms still encircled her but couldn't stop the flashes of pain on her exposed arms and face. Coughing and gagging she slumped against the Centaur. When she finally opened her eyes, a gasp left her lips.

Where she had once stood, leaning against the ships rail, there was now a gaping, splintering hole. The centaur gently placed Cari on the deck and stepped forward to examine the damage. Another sailor rushed past her to join him.

"The damage is not extensive, the ship should stay dry inside."

"Darn it all! Lord Ovarius, you must seek out the prince at once!" the sailor beckoned behind him and Cari turned. If the ship had seemed chaotic to her before, it was nothing to what she saw now. It seemed as though every able body Narnian had scrambled at top the deck. Small groups flocked the sides of the ship, prepping their own cannons in retaliation. Sails where dropped as others where angled. The ship was slowly turning so that its side now faced the enemy ship. Cari shook in fear.

"We have no choice but to fight!" The sailor ran off and Ovarius turned to the shaking girl behind him.

"Lady Cari, I'm afraid that you must go below the ship." He gently grabbed her arm and led her away from the front of the ship. "It is best if you hide." This stopped her shaking and she broke away from his gentile grasp. Her body still ached, her mind still trying to understand what had happened. Yet she knew that she couldn't let herself hide away. She didn't want to stay away not knowing what was happening. Cari was never one to enjoy staying ignorant.

"I'm not going to hide." She stated. "I'm going to stay and help."

"Young one, there is nothing you can do to help."

"I can fight." She rebuked in determination. She felt such gratitude towards these Narnians despite her scare in learning what was expected of her.

"But I won't allow it." Her courage faltered a bit when she heard his strong voice and her checks reddened. She hoped he was not angry with her eavesdropping. She turned to face him, settling with a look of cold detachment and fiery determination.

~*~

Rillian was furious. He had been above deck when the first attack happened. The Captain had sensed something like this would have happened. It was hard for him to tell, but the ship had appeared to turn at one point in their chase. It had been coming to meet them. At first Rillian believed that the confrontation would be solely peaceful conversation. He had not expected an attack.

"Those fools!" he had yelled when their ship had been hit. The Captain had heard the gun shot but was powerless to evade it. Rillian's heart had stopped when he noted Cari and Ovarius. They were in the path of the cannon. They were going to be hit. Without an explanation he stormed towards them, rushing past the startled crew-men. He was desperate to reach them. His heart was pounding and fuelled by anger. Anger directed towards the cowards in the enemy ship. How dare they attack his ship? Surely they could not be stupid as well as lawbreakers?

He wasn't able to reach them and cried out with the resounding crash. Time seemed to stop for him until he caught sight of the mighty centaur once again. Relief flooded him momentarily as he saw the curly haired head, safely protected in Ovarius' arms. The anger then returned along with a touch of jealousy that he didn't understand. He arrived by them in time to hear Cari's declaration.

"I can fight."He narrowed his eyes. Her intentions were impossible.

"But I won't allow it." He saw her pause before turning towards him. She was so full of fire and energy he found himself in awe of her once again. She held so much strength, nothing seemed to faze her for long.

"You can't stop me from helping you." The corner of his mouth twitched as he held back a smile. Seeing her so determined only seemed to increase his interest in her.

"Want to bet?" He then lunged her small body and wrapped his arms around her; pinning her to his side. She felt warm against him, Rillian found his own checks go slightly redder before composing himself. He led the struggling girl towards the door leading to the kitchens.

"What the- Rillian! Let me go!" she cried as she uselessly struggled against him.

"Ovarius!" he called back. He noted in annoyance that the centaur was grinning broadly as he watched Rillian struggle with his captive. "Seek Lord Camion and prepare yourself.""The same to you my prince." And with a chuckle he was off, the crewmen parted to let him through the ship's chaos. Rillian opened the door, one arm still holding Cari. She was pressed against his chest, her sweet smelling hair brushed his face and he fought the urge to inhale her scent. She entranced him. With reluctance he pulled her away from him and pushed her though the doorway.

"You can't stop me Rillian, I won't be a prisoner!" she yelled as she was finally released. He placed a hand on her delicate shoulder to stop her from rushing past him. But to her, it was not the hand but his face that stopped her. He was frightened.

"Please..."he whispered, leaning close, "just stay out of sight and keep safe." He pressed a small cold object in her hands before pulling her into a soft embrace.

"Rillian." She whispered. Hearing her saw his name brought warmth to his being. She spoke it so softly. He dared to hope that she cared for him too. He pulled away and smirked, eyes twinkling.

"Nothing better happen to you, or else." He threatened playfully. She gave a small smile back. Rillian was automatically amazed how he found himself so carefree in such a desperate time. It was the effect Cari had on him. Whenever he was around her, Rillian felt a strange feeling of content.

"Or else what?" she answered playfully.

"Or else you'll have me to worry about as well." He shut the door and bolted it, leaving Cari with his final solemn words.

_I'm not sure if anyone saw this coming, a pirate attack on a ship, but there is a reason for this so as always please stay tuned:) oh and warning, the next few chapters may get a tad gory so I'm sorry if it makes anyone uncomfortable. But it's a battle, you need some violence. Thanks for reading:)_


	10. Chapter 9: Obedience

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) yes I understand that this chapter is a tad late. Sorry, every time I sit down to write I always seem to get distracted;) Anyway, thanks for waiting and I'm sorry if this chapter is too violent for anyone. I don't own anything Narnian except for my characters .Enjoy and please REVIEW:P_

_**Chapter Nine: Obedience**_

"Or else you'll have me to worry about as well." The door clinked shut and she heard the scrape of wood over wood. She was bolted inside. Cari placed a slightly shaking hand on the thick wooden door and began to breath deep. What exactly did Rillian mean by his parting words? Would he put himself in danger to save her? She shook her head. Of course he would, he's done it before.

Cari glanced down in her hands and noticed the weight she held for the first time. The dagger was beautiful. It was the length of almost two of her hands and the hilt fit nicely in her palm. She didn't lie when she said she could fight. She had watched Edmund and Peter fence back in England and asked Edmund to teach her. He told her they had learned in Narnia and she managed to pick up few fighting techniques. She wasn't scared.

Mind made up, Cari turned around and headed down the hall, deeper into the ship. Rillian had bared an exit, but that didn't mean it was the only one.

~*~

"Port Cannons...fire!" The captain yelled when the ship was finally prepared to return fire. The enemy ship was almost within boarding distance. Captain Artemis was ordered not to sink the ship, what with explanations still needed. Instead, he ordered the cannons to aim high and the crew attempted to damage the masts and sails. The objective was to hinder any escape. The Narnians who weren't manning the cannons were busy preparing. There was no doubt in Artemis' mind that the enemy ship would try to board, and he was again ordered to let them. A naval battle was eminent.

Rillian was next to the captain, a fastening the bands to his mail and attaching his sword to his hip. A smaller, thinner sword hung from his other side and a dagger almost identical to the one he had given Cari was slipped into his boot. Lord Camion was dressed in similar but more elaborate armour. He carried a shield with him as well. Below men also fitted themselves with armour, dwarves with their axes, the talking animals flexed their claws and the fawns and satyrs tested their bows and short swords. The atmosphere was one of excitement and anticipation. Not one of the Narnian's held a thought of failure, yet Rillian was far from ease.

There was something about the enemy ship that he didn't like. It was definitely a Northern ship, pirates most likely, but he held a nagging suspicion that there were secrets aboard that ship. He intended to find out what.

The cannons exploded in life and launched their ammo towards the ship. Artemis' aim was legendary. Almost all the cannon balls hit their targets. With a loud crack and groan, two of the three masts splintered and fell with a crash. Rillian heard the yelling, the screams of fear and anger from his enemy. He felt very little sympathy. A wounded dog will bite those who corner him. The battle following will not be as easy as the mutilation of the enemy ship.

"Ready men?" the Captain's voice boomed over the collection of excited Narnians. A loud cheer answered him. Rillian looked at Lord Camion who had stayed silent since their meeting earlier in the day. He would not contradict him for a while. Artemis looked at Rillian, and the prince nodded. "For Aslan!"

A rival roar was heard from the ship. The time had come and the sides of both ships faced one another. As the pirates swung nimbly from ropes, trying to clear the churning water below, Rillian drew his sword and stepped forward.

~*~

"Are you mad?" the sound was like a knife trying to penetrate her resolve. But it couldn't, Cari had made up her mind and she approached the older woman with a small hint of a glare.

"I'll ask you again. Is there another way to the deck." The ship lurched and Cari grabbed the woman's arm to steady herself. The voices, shouts and screams had no subsided. The cannon blasts had however. Cari suspected it would be kind of stupid to sink either ship. There could be only one winner; and the winner needed a ship.

Cari had found her way to the kitchen. It was in here where she had found the ship's population of woman. The woman she had spoken to appeared to be the most capable one in the room. Out of the small group of ten, she was the only one not cowering in fear. In fact, she clutched a sobbing girl of perhaps thirteen to her chest. The woman began to laugh.

"Honey, believe me, you don't want to go out there." Cari crossed her arms. She narrowed her eyes. She didn't really like this woman. The head cook was the essence of confidence and authority but she had no power over Cari. Then she softened. Something told her that trying to intimidate this woman would never work.

"Listen, you don't understand. I need to be there...i can help." Cari hung her head and wrung her hands. She needed to repay Rillian for his kindness, but that was not her only reason. When she had caught sight of the ship, she felt something strange. The wind had cradled her after her injuries, comforting her. As she let herself be comforted, she received that strange feeling again. There was something in that ship that screamed obscurity.

"Honey, i know you feel helpless right now, believe me we all do." She gestured to the women around her. Many now raised their heads and followed the conversation with interest. "I know who you are."

"You...you do?" Cari stammered. She felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle in anxiety. Had word about the centaur's prediction already spread so quickly?

"Sure, you're that young slave the prince risked his life to save. I don't understand why though." The woman added under her breath. She looked at the young woman in front of her with interest wondering her spoken question. She had served the royal household for a while. She thought she had known the prince and knew how he had changed after his return and father's death. She wondered what it was about this young woman that so interested the prince. "I understand you feel you have a debt towards the prince, but believe me when I saw that you cannot repay it by going above deck." Cari's expression dropped.

"You don't know anything about me. How can you say that?" She shook in frustration, eyes downcast. Then she stomped her foot and glared at the older woman. "You know what? Whatever! I don't care whether or not you help me because I will find a way up to that deck! There is nothing you can say to stop me!" and with that she spun on her heel and prepared to walk out of the hide-away. A hand stopped her and turned her around.

"Hmm, you have spunk girly...I like that." The older woman smiled, her face crinkled with lines of happiness and age. She placed a key in her hand and nodded behind her. "Around the corner, second door leads to another stairway." Cari just stared. The woman laughed and gave her a push towards the door.

"Honey you remind me too much of myself, if you don't die up there come find me again." With a grateful nod and a last glance at the cowering woman, Cari departed, her skirts rustling behind her. The little girl still clutching the cook whimpered and her protector tsked. "Darling you could really learn a lesson from that crazy girl."

~*~

With a grunt, Rillian pulled his sword from the man he had just finished duelling and looked around him. The pirates had managed to lower large planks to connect the ships and more had spilt onto the Narnian's decks. Rillian would have never have assumed that there could have been so many. The Narnian's were close to being outnumbered yet this didn't seem to deter their spirits.

Rillian spun around to clash swords with another pirate. He could feel the slight strain of muscle in his arms as he worked to meet the strength of the other man. Their swords locked and he brought his arm up to punch the man in the face. As he stumbled back, Rillian had his chance and finished him quickly. To his left he could see Ovarius with his broadsword, easily overcoming his opponents with his strength of arm and hoof. Chime and the talking animals weaved through the crowds, attacking with stealth from underneath. They would win this, and then he would discover the ship's secret.

Lord Camion was suddenly beside him, having just fought a large and burly pirate. He was panting and clutched his side. Rillian could see the blood trickling from underneath his hands.

"Camion, retreat inside!" he shouted to his temporary guardian. The pale man merely grunted and lifted his shield to bloke another blow. He had lost his sword some time ago.

"I cannot!" he gasped. Rillian pulled him back and finished the pirate with a few agile moves.

"You can't fight! Fall back before your injury becomes worse!"

"This is nothing," he scoffed and tried to push Rillian aside. The young prince stood his guard, all the while mindful to the action around him. Chime bounded to his side to protect the duo, noticing the injured Lord.

"Just go in and bind your 'scratch' or whatever." He argued impatiently, he was anxious to return to the battle. "I don't want to lose such an able bodied man." He figured that by appealing to Camion's pride he would obey him; and he was right. The lord appeared to be struck by Rillians compliment and he nodded his head.

"Very well." He coughed out, clutching his wound tighter. "I will join you as soon as I am…able." Rillian hid a smirk and turned his back to him, rushing to join the fox. The talking animal jumped up from the body of a deceased pirate, fangs and snout covered with blood.

"You alright?" he asked after using the hilt of his swords to crack a man's head. He dropped to the floor, and fox came in full view.

"Rillian!" The fox cried in relief, "We managed to overcome close to half but the remaining are tougher than we thought…it may take more time than we expected to win." The fox snapped angrily at an approaching man, he backed off immediately. The red tail was larger than a regular fox, and with wide eyes, sharp snarling fangs and bristling fur, he was quite intimidating. Rillian bit his lip as he surveyed the situation.

Losses were imminent and he recognized with a heavy heart, the lifeless bodies of a few of his crew men. However he noted a greater loss was experienced by the enemy's side. The Narnian's fought with great skill and energy, Rillian felt a surge of pride.

Than his mouth dropped in horror.

~*~

Cari swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she stared at the approaching pirate. He smiled leeringly at her as he brandished his blade. Cari moved cautiously backward, ever aware of the overturned supplies and bodies that littered the ship's deck. When she had first stepped into the sunlight she had gagged. Cari had never seen anything so violent before. At first, no one seemed to notice the young woman enter the battlefield, it was only when a body fell in front of that she shrieked, finally drawing attention to herself.

The first pirate that had approached her quickly fell forward, an axe lodged in his back. She hurriedly thanked the puzzled dwarf before leaping over the body. She needed to reach the planks that connected the two ships.

Despite the noises of the battle, she still felt the ever present humming of the sea wind. The soothing sounds that both kept her sane, and reminded her of what she wanted to do in the first place. She noticed Rillian from the corner of her eye, half yelling at one of the men she had seen in the meeting earlier. Chime swiftly evaded and jumped the approaching villains in front of them. Satisfied that he was well protected, she turned her attention back to her path.

Cari screamed a mind piercing shriek before her airway was cut.

_I apologize if my action scenes aren't too great, but hey it's my first time writing one. Let me know what you think and anyway I could improve. Thanks for reading and staytuned:)_


	11. Chapter 10: Uncovered

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) I would like to especially thank everyone whose rated, I really appreciate your comments, thanks for all your support:) Again, sorry if this chapters a bit gory. I don't own anything Narnian except for Cari and my characters. Have fun and please REVIEW;)_

_**Chapter Ten: Uncovered**_

Cari squirmed in pain, her hands digging into the tightly muscled arms of the man who held her. He lifted her so her feet dangled uselessly, the knife stayed foolishly fastened to the belt around her waist.

"What do we have here?" he smirked as he watched Cari's face go pale. She managed to choke out a few words.

"W...watch yourself." She threatened. The man threw back his head and laughed. With a smirk, Cari swung back her raised foot and rammed her knee into his groin. Immediately released, Cari rolled out of the way as the man toppled with pain and sprang to her feet. Massaging her throat she looked down at the man with disgust. "I warned you." She simply stated before moving away from his groans and curses. She was sure that another Narnian would finish the job.

Cari rushed towards a board but was again halted by the swinging of a sword. Barely dodging it, she stumbled back and seriously considered her reasons for leaving the safety of the ship. Then the wind blew and she shivered. The pirate's dark ship loomed just ahead of her and once again she received the same ominous feeling. Her curiosity peaked.

With determination, Cari finally unsheathed her knife. The pirate swung again and this time, metal met metal. Her arms buckled with the unusual pressure and she jumped back before her strength collapsed. Cari bit her lip as she studied her approaching enemy. There was no way she would be able to beat him.

She dodged him again but this time was trapped against the rail. Squeezing her eyes shut she prepared herself. Metal hits metal. She opened her eyes and was met with Rillian's strong back. She watched as he skilfully met each attack. With a twist of his wrist he disarmed the man and punched him in face, knocking him out. Then he directed his anger towards her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled, she was still backed up against the rail, and she was still frightened.

"..." she couldn't answer. Both relieved and frightened she merely stared. His clothing was both covered in sweat and what she hoped was someone else's blood. With multiple tares, his once elegant clothing was in tatters. Rillian now looked as though he was a beggar with chain mail. The thought made her smile, which only infuriated the man more.

"You think this is funny?" He yelled, he pointed his bloody sword behind him, "this isn't a game!"

"I never said it was." She replied calmly, then her eyes widened."Behind you!" With catlike reflexes, Rillian spun around to parry an oncoming attack. As he engaged the pirate, Cari used this distraction to climb atop the rail. She grabbed a thick rope to stead herself. There was no way that she would be able to sneak around Rillian to reach the connecting boards; she would have to find another way.

Looking down she shivered. The water both looked deep and cold, with the dress she was wearing, she didn't think she could last long if she fell. Grasping the small pouch around her neck, she took a moment to gather what little courage she had.

"I can't believe I'm going to do this." She muttered. Since when was she ever courageous? The last time was probably when she took that sketchy shortcut and that didn't turn out as she hoped. But then again, if Ovarius turned out to be right and she was the person from the prediction, she figured she would have luck on her side. Before she could frighten herself, she bent to cut the rope. Sheathing her knife, she grasped the rope tightly and jumped to swing herself over, wrapping her legs around the rope as she jumped.

"Shit." She breathed. She had made it halfway, but already she could feel the momentum of her swing slow down. _So much for being lucky,_ She thought to herself. Suddenly, a gust of wind crashed into her, whipping her hair and skirts forward and sending her over the rail of the enemy ship. She landed on her bottom and winced. Cari waited until her head stopped spinning before attempting to move. Then she laughed. She was alive, and she had somehow cleared the landing.

Standing slowly she observed her surroundings. There were less people aboard this ship then the other and all were preoccupied with stopping the Narnians from coming aboard. Some were busy attempting to fix the masts of the ships. She supposed that they were considering making an escape. Cari hurried towards the first door she spotted. She didn't know what she was going to find, but somehow knew that whatever it was, would be found inside the ship.

Cari paused briefly when she heard her name, carried by the wind. Then without another hesitation, she pulled open the door and entered the ship.

~*~

"Stupid...arrogant...infuriating...woman!" Rillian seethed while attacking another pirate. He had turned his back on her for three minutes and when he set sights on her again, she's swinging over the water. How was he expected to keep her safe if she kept on doing stupid things? Now what was he expected to do?

_I want to save her again._ He thought with shock. This new revelation caused him to pause. The pirate advanced, thrusting his sword towards his heart. With a cry, he fell as a furry body crashed into him. Chime attacked the man's legs, bringing him down so he could better reach the neck. Then he turned to Rillian in annoyance.

"Weren't you the one who always told me to pay attention!" he snarled.

"Chime!" he leaped back onto his feet and brandished his sword again, quickly felling another pirate. "I just saw something unexpected."

"You mean Cari leaping over the water like a wood nymph?"

"You saw that." He replied with a clenched jaw. Despite her stupidity, Rillian couldn't help but admire her. No one could doubt that she was courageous; he knew very little women, and even men, who showed so much of it. Her reckless antics only further proved that Cari was not from this world, but that wasn't the reason why he wanted to protect her. Recently when he looked at her, Rillian felt this strange urge to care for her. It was this need to keep her safe. Just the thought of her in danger was enough to ruin his hard earned calm facade. He was restless when she wasn't near. The depth of his anger scared him when he saw the pirate choke her. Cari might've left him alive, but Rillian had finished the job with satisfaction. But the vengeance did nothing to soften his anger or his concern.

Not until he had reached her did his anger subside. And of course, his relief didn't last long.

"Is it that impossible to keep her safe?" he shouted towards Chime who was attacking with difficulty another burly pirate. Rillian rushed to take over the fight, the man grunted over his new opponent. "Go, try to watch out for her."

"Not sure how much good that'll do." Chime panted, "but... if it'll make you feel better..." and with that, the fox sprinted towards a connecting plank, weaving past those in his way. Chime would be able to reach her as there was no way Rillian could sneak his way on board, no matter how good his stealth had improved. He would have to wait to find her.

~*~

"Just keep moving Cari...there's no such thing as...." the ship groaned and she jumped. "ghosts." She finished with a whimper. The inside of the ship was almost pitch black, and incredibly cramped. It held none of the warmth she had experienced in the Narnian ship, yet she could still see some similarities of design.

Cari had no idea where she was going. As she walked the narrow hall, she felt a breeze gently moving with her, so with no other judgement, she followed the wind. For the first few minutes she was fine. Now however, the stifling space was taking a toll on her nerves. As a younger girl, she had been afraid of the dark, her over active imagination would run wild. Cari thought she had grown out of the phobia, but was apparently wrong.

With every groan and creak of wood she jumped, certain that if she turned she would be met with the shadowy figure of a pirate or even worse...a disturbed spirit. Cari turned than and laughed when she saw nothing, again.

"Get a grip Cari," she chided herself and continued to walk with the soft wind. Her throat still felt dry, her stomach clenched. Something brushed against her leg and she screamed.

"Great, like that's not going to get you caught." A familiar voice chuckled.

"Chime!" she breathed with relief, she bent down to hug the warm body, the fox leaped backward.

"Careful, you don't want to get blood on that dress of yours."

"Too late." She spoke solemnly. They walked in silence for a few moments, Cari worked hard to feel the wind, since Chime arrived, it had grown weaker. Then again they were pretty deep inside the ship.

"Man, do these pirates have something against lanterns? How are you seeing in this darkness?" Cari shrugged.

"I can't really...how did you find me?"

"Your scent."

"Must be nice being a fox." Chime chuckled.

"I wouldn't know any other way to live." Cari's face twitched. This was serious, she wasn't supposed to be making jokes, but it was hard. "What are we doing here by the way?" The red fox, asked, his voice breaking the silence.

"I'm not too sure actually." Surprisingly, the talking animal began to laugh, he leaped to her side, the corridor had become wider and they were now descending stairs. Cari could see a small light which appeared to be a door's keyhole.

"You know I like you Cari, you're such a joy." Cari rolled her eyes and opened the door then gagged. She heard Chime's sharp intake of breath as she keeled over. "Although the situations you get yourself into...not so pleasant."

_I know it's another cliff-hanger but honestly, it's fun to end chapters like this ;P I promise next chapter you'll find out what's in the ship. Anyhow, thanks for staying with me and stay tuned:) _


	12. Chapter 11: Hopeless Strength

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) Again thanks to all who reviewed:) I'm trying to be a bit more constant with when I update but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up for long. I'm leaving for school in a week so got to do all the school stuff that I've been procrastinating with;) Anyway I don't own anything Narnian except my characters, have fun and REVIEW:)_

_**Chapter Eleven: Hopeless strength **_

"Oh my lord!" Cari gasped before vomiting the remains of her breakfast. She was leaning heavily against the wall, her back turned away from the horror. She felt Chime back up against her, he was quivering.

"That stench…I'm sorry Cari, I just can't..."

"What…Chime what did you see?" Cari was frightened. She had definitely seen something as the room was lit with a solitary lantern which flickered unsteadily but still provided the room with a light glow. It was a prison. Before she turned away she saw the hopeless black bars. What they contained she wasn't sure, but she knew that it was what she needed to discover.

"This shouldn't be happening!" the fox sputtered. "I…I…"

"Chime! What did you see?" Cari bent down to her knees and placed a comforting hand just behind his head. "Please, I know you're shocked but I need to know. You have better senses then me remember?" she joked lightly. The fox stopped trembling then and from the glow of the partially opened door, she could see that he had turned to face her. His eyes flashed in the dark."I don't understand Cari. King Caspian X, Rillian's father outlawed this. I don't believe my eyes."

"I thought I saw shadows moving behind the bars…there are prisoners."

"Not just any prisoners…Narnians." Cari's eyes widened and she gasped. Jumping to her feet and startling the red fox, she burst through the door once more. This time she held her breath and ripped a portion of her sleeve to cover her nose in an attempt to block out the hideous smell. Before, when she had first entered, the smell had immediately stung her nose and pierced her senses. It reminded her of rotting compost except twice as putrid. Something had died behind the bars.

The sound of her ripped garment seemed to alert however was behind the bars and someone whimpered. Cari slowly walked towards the noise and grasped the bars. They were cold. It was both frigid and damp in the room, someone could not stay healthy down here for long. This angered Cari. How dare someone believe they had the right to treat a fellow living being like this? Her anger made her voice seem harsh when she called out to them.

"Is anyone there?" More shuffling and a cry answered her. Cari realized that she was frightening however was inside so she lowered herself to a possible eye level.

"It's alright." She crooned in a softer tone, "Please, I want to help you." A figure stepped away from the shadows and into the dim light. It was a Narnian boy no older than fourteen. He was dressed in rags, his dirty hair hung limp on his head and she could see the ugly yellow toned colour of healing bruises. Sympathy immediately flooded her, she was going to help him.

"Who are you?" the boy croaked. She gave him a sad smile,

"Someone who's going to help you." To her surprise, the boy snorted and scowled at her.

"Don't you people have any sense of compassion!" he yelled hoarsely at her. "Constantly raising and dashing our hopes with lies and empty promises. Do you think we're stupid?"

"Damian, please…" a faint female voice sounded. Another figure entered the light. She was pale, and even more sickly looking than the boy. In her hands she cradled a small pot containing a frail sapling. The boy ignored her and continued his rant.

" Do you think we don't realize who you are? What you're doing? Yet you continue, don't you have any sense of dignity? Respect? Just leave us alone!"

"um…" Cari was speechless. This boy seemed half-way starved to death yet his voice held such passion. He had clearly snapped.

"Nothing to say have you?" he mocked.

"Actually, there is plenty." Chime's strong voice came to her defense. Cari's heart filled with admiration. Being in the room was clearly harming Chime, yet he stood by her side anyway. She couldn't even begin to imagine what these horrors were doing to him. Cari was lucky. With her poor eyesight, she saw very little. "You clearly have no idea who you're yelling at." The boy gave the fox a whisper of a smile.

"You're Narnian." Then the small smile disappeared, "so she's not-"

"No, I'm not a pirate." Cari piped in suddenly. "Do you happen to know where the key to the prison is?"

"So you mean to free us?" The girl whispered, leaning heavily against the boy. Other figures came forward upon hearing her. A couple fawns, a marsh wiggle and another female with sunken eyes. From the little she could make out, Cari guessed that there were about twenty-three bodies…not all were moving. Choking back tears of anger, Cari nodded her head vigorously. The pale girl smiled, clutching Damian's hand tightly.

"The only place I could think of would be the captains room, three levels above us." He still eyed her with suspicion, clearly unready to trust her. Cari beaconed to Chime.

"Come on, let's go." And with one last glance at the sorry figures, they ran from the room, back into the pitch black hall. "Any ideas where to go now?" she asked him.

"I saw another hallway and what looked like could be stairs. We need to be careful though, there's no telling what lingered on the ship." Cari skidded to a sudden stop and looked around. She started to tremble lightly.

"What do you mean?" She quivered, "Don't you mean who?" Chime circled back and jumped, landing two paws on her chest, she stumbled back and glared back at him annoyed.

"That's right, you're afraid of ghosts!" he laughed. Cari didn't answer and jogged on ahead.

"Stupid fox ears." She muttered, sure that he heard her. A chuckle confirmed this. The hallway did indeed lead to a stair way and Chime cautiously entered it first, pausing at the top which branched out left and right. It was considerable lighter now. Windows showed that they were most likely at the top level of the ship. "The stairway must bypass the second level of the ship, but why?"

"Easy access to the brig from the top deck of course." Chime replied grimly. "One of these hallways must lead to the room. Cari move back!" Cari immediately stepped back onto a lower level and watched in slight horror as Chime jumped a passing man, latching his sharp teeth around the man's throat. The pirate fell, clutching his wound in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. Blood pooled around him. Chime had bit an artery.

"Good fox ears." She remarked nervously as she lifted her skirts and leaped over the now dead man. Cari squeezed her eyes shut and waited the brief moment it took for the queasiness to leave her.

"It's a good thing I followed you." Cari made a squeaky reply and opened her eyes. Time to move on, she had a job to do.

They took the left hall, which quickly led out onto the deck. Chime led her towards the quarter deck. Thankfully most of the men on deck were now engaged upon fighting the advancing Narnian forces. Their defenses were breeched and their deck was much more crowded with Narnian soldiers. Cari swiftly weaved through the battles, dodging a blow every now and then. Chime helped to keep their attentions off her until a Narnian could engage with the pirate. They had almost made it to the door under the quarter deck when a firm hand latched onto her arm.

"Rillian!" Cari cried in relief and flung herself into his arms. He held her tight, one hand still held his bloody sword and he held it away from her, but the other cradled the back of her head.

"I'm glad you're safe." He replied softly, then his eyes flashed and he pulled her away from him. "Now, what the hell were you thinking you stupid female!" Cari bit her lip to keep from laughing and pulled him along with her. Even in this outburst, Rillian couldn't hide the relief and happiness from his voice. He wasn't angry with her.

"We need to go in there and get the keys." Cari twisted the latch and swung the door open, only to be confronted with a surprised elegant yet dirty man. He was tall and sported curly black hair and a thick mustache. Behind him she could see a rather nicely furnished room. Three bookcases filled with books decorated the walls along with numerous maps of Narnia and the surrounding area. The desk held a set of scales, some nautical equipment and a ring of keys.

"Chime! There on the desk!" she yelled excitedly. At her voice the man quickly overcame his surprise and smiled at Cari, eying her up and down. Cari shuddered and glared at him.

"Are you the Captain of this ship?" Rillian demanded, sidestepping around Cari and blocking her from his view. Rillian narrowed his eyes at the man, clearly unhappy with the way he had looked at Cari.

"And if I am?"

"You're in no position to lie." Chime growled, "or haven't you noticed what's become of your crew and ship." The man scowled.

"I am." Cari pushed Rillian aside and advanced upon the man. He leered at her until she rammed her fist into his face, causing him to stumble back against his desk. All three were stunned at the females power.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, her fists shook with rage. "How dare you treat people with such disrespect? What kind of monster are you? There are children in that death trap!"

"Cari, what-" Chime stopped Rillian from moving to her.

"You are scum! No. You're worse than scum, you should have never been born!" The captain rose and towered over her. He looked down at her with disdain and met her fiery eyes with cool detachment. "How dare you!" she went to punch him again, but he grabbed her arm and threw her to the side of the room. Her head hit the wall with a thud and she slumped downward, rubbing her head.

"ow…" She hissed quietly. Rillian immediately moved in front of her and raised his sword in a defensive stance. Chime bounded to Cari's side and snarled, baring his fangs.

"Apparently you have a lot to explain for." The Captain drew his own sword from the scabbard on his waist and in turn, pointed towards Rillian.

"And who may I know, am I explaining myself too?"

"Prince Rillian of Narnia," The Captain took a step back and fear graced his face for a fraction before returning to its cold detachment. "You are charged of breaking the Narnian Code of Law, attacking a royal vessel, and treason towards the crown."

"Don't forget slavery and kidnapping!" Cari yelled from behind him, still massaging her head.

"What!" Rillian cried in indignation.

"You need to learn to shut your trap wench!" The man growled.

"Make me scumbag!" She cried, rising to her feet. Cari unsheathed her knife and tried to move around Rillian, he held her back and pushed her towards the door. The man ran towards her and thrust his sword, aiming for her stomach. Cari winced as the sharp clang of metal against metal hit her ear. Rillian had locked his sword with the Captain. He pushed him back.

"Go back to the ship Cari." He pleaded softly, she shook her head.

"I promised to rescue them." Chime jumped atop the desk and grabbed the ring of keys with his teeth. Then he jumped back down and ran towards Cari. The captain's gaze refused to leave Rillian's. Rillian pointed his sword towards the man again. His stance was strong and his voice alarmingly calm.

"Surrender and cooperate." The Captain opened his mouth and laughed. Cari touched Rillian's shoulder before leaving.

"You better be careful." She threatened, "or else you'll have me to worry about." Then she left the room, following quickly after the fox.

_Well hope you enjoyed my latest chapter ,your thoughts I greatly appreciate so write away;) thanks for reading and stay tuned!_


	13. Chapter 12: Quivering Hope

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) I want to apologize for posting this so late :( I'm really sorry I didn't think I would take so long. I just started university and if I can use that as an excuse then great;) it's been a rush of new experiences and honestly I needed some time to get inspired. You know when you need to take a break and recharge? Well that was me. But I just spent good hour and a half writing and was pretty oblivious to everything. (I didn't even notice my roommate had gotten up) anyhow, thanks for sticking around and hopefully I don't disappoint. Enjoy:)_

_**Chapter Twelve: Quivering Hope**_

__"Do you think he'll be alright?" Cari asked a heavily breathing Chime as the two ran down the lengthy stairway. From what she had seen, Rillian was more than adequate with a sword, but she still worries. Cari knew that it was pointless to try and help him fight, she knew she would get in the way, be held as hostage and get her throat cut in the process. She reached up to finger her throat and thought back to her conversation with Edmund and Lucy. They had never answered her question because they had never died in Narnia. She guessed she would find her way back. But then what? She would probably get raped. Cari rolled her eyes at her bleak situation. Why was this all happening now?

__"No…worries…" was his muffled reply. He was still holding the ring of keys, it jangled dainty against his muzzle.

"I mean, he's strong right? He's fought many battles before…right?" The fox merely grunted. She took that as a plea to shut up. Once again, the landed at the bottom of the stairway and once again she used to cloth strip to cover her nose. The smell was just as putrid, but less impacting because she had prepared herself.

Excited murmurs sounded when they heard Chime's jangling key ring. Cari rushed and grabbed the metal bars once again, resting her still aching head against them. She was actually grateful for the frigid temperature of the metal.

"Damian!" more shuffling before the boy came into view. "Where's the lock?" The keys dropped from Chime's mouth.

"To your right Cari." She bent down to retrieve the keys and felt along the bars for the door. Finding it, she selected a key and tried to thrust it into the lock, it didn't fit.

"darn it!" she then selected another and tried again. It didn't fit. She looked apologetically at Damian and the others who now crowded around him. The frail girl was smiling brightly, life came to her hollow eyes, even Damian was giving her a smile. "This could take a while." Chime sighed impatiently.

"Unfortunately 'a while' is not a luxury we can afford!" he bounded over and inspected the lock. "look for a bronze key." Cari nodded and searched the key ring. He was right of course. The sounds of the battle were fading and she wasn't sure whether or not Captain Artemis would rethink his decision to sink the enemy ship. They all needed to hurry.

Finally the lock clicked and the door opened with a creak. The prisoners gasped as Cari stood aside to let them pass, smiling all the while. Her part was almost done. She just hoped Rillian was alright.

~*~

"What's the matter boy? Am I too skilled for you?" The pirate laughed as Rillian slowly rose to his feet once again. He wiped the blood from his mouth and glared. He stayed calm and silent. As long as Cari was safe, he could keep his emotions in check.

The pirate captain raised his sword and swung it towards him, Rillian took a step back and met the powerful swing with one of his own. Metal met metal. Rillian twisted his wrist in an attempt to disarm him but the man followed his sword's motion and kept the swords locked. Rillian took another step back and drew his sword back, preparing to thrust. But the man ducked under the thrust and used his sword to disarm him. Rillian leaped back and hit the book case behind him. The room was too cramped.

"Nowhere to run now boy." The pirates sword gleamed as he tossed it hand to hand. Rillian followed it's movement carefully, watching for the strike. The pirate leaped forward just as Rillian rolled to his side to evade him. The man hit the bookcase with a crash and grunted in pain. Rillian quickly unsheathed his second smaller sword and slashed, he managed to nick him before the pirate stepped away, he pushed the bookcase down in front of him.

"You have skill boy, I'll admit that…yet you have no idea who your messing with."

"I know exactly who I'm dealing with…your scum." Rillian replied with a smirk, repeating Cari's previous comment. The man growled and bent to take Rillians discarded sword, he spun both swords in his hands before taking a new fighting stance.

"Talk while you still have a head my boy." He chuckled manically, "as soon as I'm done extracting my revenge I'll deal with your little wench."

"You won't be able to touch her."

"She needs to be taught a lesson by a true man." He continued, ignoring the prince. Rillian's eyes twitched with what the man was implying. The small change of feature did not go unnoticed by the pirate and he smirked. "She's such a weak little beauty. It'll be easy to have my way with her." Rillian lunged at him, striking his sword against his own. He was starting to see red, his calm fading. He continued to leap at the man until he felt the searing pain of his arm. Jumping back, he quickly acknowledged the gash on his sword arm and switched hands before fighting again. He struggled to remain calm and managed to back the pirate up against the desk. Than the man spoke again and leered.

"Fast and hard, that's the way I like it." Rillian's eyes flashed with anger and he began to swing wildly again, "Then as she cries, begging me to spare her life…I'll slit her wrists and watch the life slowly drawn from her eyes." Rillian missed, and seeing his chance, the pirate lodged his boot against his chest, sending him backwards against the wall. He slumped down, his head spinning. Rillian's eyes snapped open as he felt the sharp point of metal touch his neck. The man towered over him He stepped on Rillian's sword hand, keeping it firmly on the ground and rendering him defenseless. He was grinning.

"I would let you watch…but I think I'll have much more fun killing you." He drew his sword back, ready to plunge. A swift movement of air, and a thud followed by a gasp.

"I told you I could fight." A female spoke. Red formed through the captains white shirt. He dropped his sword and looked down to see an elaborately decorated knife set deep into the flesh slightly below his shoulder. Rillian used his feet to kick the man's legs, he fell with a crash. Leaping gracefully to his feet he returned the favour and pointed his slim sword at the pirates neck.

"I never said you didn't know how…only that I didn't want you too." He replied, but refused to lose contact with the man. Cari grinned.

"Bet your glad I didn't listen though." Rillian shook his head, trying to control his laughter. He swallowed his happiness and glared at the man. He stared back with equal hatred.

"Surrender and cooperate." He repeated. The man scoffed.

"Didn't you know.." the man struggled to say, the tip of the sword broke skin and a small bead of blood formed. "The captain always goes down with the ship…and so do its secrets." Cari closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting to see the violence. A thwack sounded and she shivered. Than a gentle hand touched her shoulder and turned her around. She opened her eyes to stare at Rillian's amused blue ones.

"Why are you closing your eyes?" he chuckled. She looked past him to see the captain sprawled on the floor. Nothing moved except his chest. The man was still alive.

"You kept him alive?" she breathed in amazement. Rillian shifted and looked wounded by her words. It was true that he had a temper, but he was a prince and held some sense of honor. The man was detestable and probably deserved to die, but unless provoked, Rillian wouldn't be the one ending the man's life. The pirate captain would not escape justice through death, and he would eventually get answers from him.

"Do you think me a cold hearted killer?" startled that she had hurt him she grabbed his arms and squeezed, smiling kindly. He instantly felt relief. He wanted Cari to feel pride and admiration from him. So far all he did was yell at her. He mentally yelled at himself for being such an idiot.

"N..no…but he wasn't cooperating!" Rillian looked back at the man and smiled mischievously.

"It's true that the captain goes down with the ship. But he forgot that his ship hasn't sunk yet." She gave him playful shove.

"Again with the jokes." Cari chided. Rillian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a close hug.

"I'm glad you're here." He said into her wavy hair. Cari merely nodded. She was finally getting comfortable with the idea of being here…with Rillian. She couldn't deny the happiness she felt every time he came to her side. Or the shivers she receives when they touch. Or the odd yet mesmerizing connection she felt, every time she stared into his dancing blue eyes. Yes, Cari defiantly couldn't deny the fact that she was developing feelings for this temperamental prince.

"Let's go back to the ship…the battles over." She murmured contently in his strong, protective arms. Rillian unwrapped himself from her but kept an arm around her waist as he led her out onto the deck and into the shinning sun. The battle was over and her aches had left her. The only ache she received now was the knowledge that her time in Narnia may be over anytime too.

_Well hope you enjoyed my latest chapter ,your thoughts I greatly appreciate so write away;) thanks for reading and stay tuned. And once again sorry for the wait, thanks for everyone's support and I'll try to update soon._


	14. Chapter 13:Awaiting

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) well anyway, I think I'm doing pretty good, another chapter up in less than a month lol. I've decided to write when lectures are boring, hence the reason why I'm able to post. Anyway, I don't own the world of Narnia only my OC characters. Thanks to everyone who rated as well as all you who read my story thank you!_

_**Chapter Thirteen: Awaiting**_

"Twenty-five Narnians were kidnapped and placed in that prison…and only sixteen were left when we saved them." Chime reported sadly. The commanding men of the ship had gathered once again in the meeting room. This time however, Rillian was not lounging inattentively, but sat upright clinging to every word that came from the fox's mouth. And this time, Cari sat with them rather than outside the door. She had to explain too.

"What possessed you to enter that ship?" Lord Camion demanded. Rillian scowled and shot the Lord a warning look. The older man pursed his lips and looked angrily at the table before softening. No one had told him about Cari or Ovarius' prediction. He didn't understand why a woman; a former slave for that matter, was being treated with respect equal to his own.

"Honestly, I can't give you an answer that you'll believe." She answered simply, giving a side glance towards Ovarius. The centaur inclined his head slightly and gave her a knowing look. She scoffed and ignored him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Camion retorted.

"There was definitely something ominous about the enemy ship." Rillian jumped in, giving support to Cari. "It wasn't only the suspicious behavior that made me want to investigate."

"I understand that sire, but the girl? What reason could she possibly give other than insanity!" Cari quickly put a hand on Rillians arm; he had almost jumped out of his seat. His hand clenched, his brow furled in annoyance.

"First of all, I'm not a girl, and I have a name." She looked over at Ovarius and sighed, he smiled in triumph. "Second, if you haven't noticed…I'm not from 'here,' so don't question my reasons for doing things." The lord opened and closed his mouth a few times before looking away angrily. Rillian smiled and moved his hand to hold hers underneath the table. She entwined her fingers with his, enjoying the warmth.

"Anyway, that's not important. What's important is what we found on that ship." Cari continued. She grimaced when she thought of the sixteen bedraggled, tired and broken bodies. They had given a sea burial to the Narnians who didn't make it only a few hours before. The crew of the Dawn Breaker was exhausted yet lively after the victory. Those spirits came crashing down when Chime, Rillian and Cari helped the kidnapped Narnian's aboard. Rillian immediately ordered a full investigation of the pirate ship and removed the bodies as well as the pirate captain before ordering Captain Artemis to sink the ship.

Cari heard the blasts as she struggled to remove all the bloody reminders of the battle from her body. She hoped that she would never experience another violent showing again but something told her that she may not have a choice.

"Lady Cari holds a valid point." Captain Artimes contributed. All around faces were grim. Surprise and disbelief were the general thoughts of the Narnians. "King Caspian X was a wise and strong ruler. Even after his death not many ventured to break his laws, especially those placed on slavery."

"Despicable! Those damned pirates dared to steal saplings from the sacred trees!" Ovarius stopped a hoof in anger. His whole body shook with rage.

"Is that what the girl was holding?" Cari asked, remembering the girl holding the potted plant. Only a few bodies were found in the prison. The rest were merely wilted remains of plant life. Apparently the only sacred sapling left was the one she saw next to Damian.

"She was the only survivor of her kind." Chime explained, "How she managed too, I have no idea."

"Have you questioned the brute sire?" Ovarius partially demanded. Rillian shook his head no.

"He hasn't woken up yet." He shrugged sheepishly, "I guess I hit him too hard."

"Not like he didn't deserve it." Cari muttered.

"I don't understand how this could have happened!" Rillian continued, anger seeping into his voice. "To steal Narnians, especially from the sacred groves, these men would have to have had the means to infiltrate and remain in Narnian undetected for quite some time!"

"No good comes from all this anger. What we need are answers." Gawain the red dwarf explained. The attitude of the party was very tense. The attack had gone from a simple chase down to something much more complex and sorrowful.

"But we can't get any answers yet." Rillian hissed in reply. Cari squeezed his hand and then disentangled herself. She rose from her seat, keeping both hands on the table.

"So basically this conversation is going around in sad circles so… I'm going to go do something productive." Camion scowled but the others seemed amused. Cari's declaration had cut the tension like a knife through butter. The remorseful waves were less now. Chime jumped up to join her as she spun around and headed out the door.

"That girl's impossible." Camion exclaimed. Rillian smirked.

_Thank goodness for that._

~*~

"Why'd you follow me Chime?" Cari asked with a touch of disappointment. Although she greatly appreciated the fox's company, she held a small hope that it would have been Rillian who followed her.

"I know what you're going to do." Chime answered simply. Cari nodded. They had both found and released the Narnians; it was only natural that they both shared the most concern for them.

"I wanted to talk to Damian. I know that they're recovering right now…" Cari pursed her lips and fidgeted with the sleeve of her new dress. The one she wore was a midnight blue and again, a tad too short for her. She still wore the knife which was sheathed and attached to the belt around her waist. She never wanted to use it again, but couldn't part with Rillian's gift.

"Just admit that you're curious."

"You know you're pretty good at reading people."

"I would say it's a fox skill but curiosity and you seem to walk hand in hand." He smiled as he loped alongside her. They had almost reached the dorms where the Narnians were recovering. Opening the door, she barely stepped into the room before two thin arms wrapped around her.

"Lady Cari!" the sole wood nymph squealed in delight. He voice was weak yet melodic. The lean girl was recovering nicely. She seemed fresh and awake. Cari raised an eyebrow at her appearance however. At times the girl seemed like a willowy woman, and with a blink of an eye she appeared much younger. Cari supposed it was just the nature of a wood sprite. She noticed the potted plant seemed a lot greener and was sprouting new leaves as well. "You visited!"

"Of course, did you think I would just abandon you?"

"Do you guys mind being a bit quieter? Some of us are trying to sleep here!" A groggy male voice complained.

"Damian, be nice!" the nymph chided before leaping to slap the boy on the arm.

"ow, Mai! Do you always have to do this?" Damian walked up to Cari and Chime, rubbing his arm and scowling. The scowl changed into a smile though when he faced her.

"Lady Cari, and Sir Fox, what a pleasurable surprise!" Damian too looked a lot different now that he was cleaned up. In fact he appeared a tad older. Cari supposed it was the way he carried himself. Or maybe with proper light she could now determine his true age. The passion in his eyes was still there and she could see he was quite handsome. His hair was light, straight and a bit windblown. It touched his shoulders and feel into his passionate eyes. Mai joined the three and snuck her thin arm through Damian's before giving Cari a warning look. Cari hid a giggle. She hoped Mai didn't think she was checking out her guy.

"We just wanted to make sure you'll all alright?" Cari answered.

"Yeah, to see that the worst ailment you have is seasickness." Chime added. Mai gave him a breathtaking smile and giggled. Her change in behavior was startling, but Cari just shrugged her shoulder and rolled with it. It was only natural that they'd be happier, she remembered how goofy she acted when she was freed. She smiled when she remembered her rescuer.

"You have all been so kind to us." Mai gushed, her smile faltered for a fraction and she glanced towards her sapling. Cari shifted again.

"I'm sorry you couldn't be rescued sooner." She looked at Damian sorrowfully, "Maybe then there would have been more of you." He shook his head and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Please don't Lady Cari, if anything it is us who should be thanking you," Mai cleared her throat and he released his hand. "If there's anything we can do for you…" he switched his gaze from Cari to Chime.

"Actually there is something." Chime stated before grinning mischievously. "Cari wants her curiosity satisfied." Cari blushed scarlet and glared at the fox.

"You couldn't show a little tact?"

"Nope, it's fun to watch you get uncomfortable." Cari turned her back away from the fox and crossed her arms angrily. Damian chuckled,

"If its understanding you want I'll be happy to answer anything."

"But we'll prefer it if we talked somewhere else." Mai stressed the 'we' and gestured around her. They had been talking in low voices but the sleeping bodies were beginning to stir. Cari nodded in agreement.

"I know that Prince Rillian will want some of his own questions answered so maybe we should wait until he joined us." Cari replied, agreeing with the wood nymph.

"Another day or so and we'll be back to glorious Narnia!" Chime mentioned with joy, he lifted his front paws off the ground and swished his tail in excitement. "How I long to be among a more civilized nation. That and the absence of sand in one's paws would be my heaven!"

"Amen to that!" Cari agreed with a smile. She never wanted to step foot on another grain of sand again. Unless of course, it was attached to a beach.

_Well hope you liked it, please review and let me know what you think._


	15. Chapter 14: Arrival and Impressions

**Secretly Wanted: **A Narnian Chronicle

_Hello everyone and thanks for reading:) well anyway, again, sorry for the lateness. But its hard to find a balance. I enjoy writing but I can rarely seem to find the time for pleasure writing (I blame education) anyway, I don't own the world of Narnia only my OC characters. Thanks to everyone who rated as well as all you who read my story thank you!_

_**Chapter Fourteen: Arrival and Impressions**_

__"Ah, the prodigal prince returns!" A deep voice bellowed followed by Rillian's deep sigh. "I thought you would never come back." The last part was spoken with an air of mockery that got on Cari's nerves. This isn't the welcome that she expected Rillian to receive. Rillian growled under his breath, she placed a hand on his arm and smiled. Rillian's anger cooled and he wiped his face of emotion. When they had reached port and had finally arrived, Cari thought she would literally faint. It was nothing like she had imagined, but then again she supposed there really was no way to properly describe this country.

The seaport was at the bottom of a large cliff, and surrounded by a small yet populous town. When the Dawn Treader had come into view of the town, immediately people started to gather. Cari supposed that they were either extremely excited, or cautious thinking that they were an enemy ship. She hoped it was the first. If anything else happened to stop her from reaching Narnia she was prepared to scream. In her mind she had already picked out a few curse words to yell out. Relief at finally docking also contributed to her wanting to faint.

"Well I guess you thought wrong," Rillian answered with an eerie calm, "as you always do." He added under his breath. Cari still heard and she eyebrow raised slightly. Ovarius then stepped forward and bowed his head in acknowledgement. He then turned to Rillian and grimaced, a clear indication that he had heard his remark as well. Rillian shifted his feet but kept his face expressionless. Then with a smile, Ovarius offered his hand to Cari, which she gladly took. As he brought her forward she could literally feel her stomach flip flopping. The man in front of her eyed her with confusion.

"My Lord, I am pleased to present to you the lady Carilyn of Toronto. Lady Cari, may I introduce Lord Jordano, Steward to the throne of Narnia." A pause of silence occurred where Cari just stared. In the back of her mind she knew she ought to do some kind of bow but for the most part she was still trying to understand what Ovarius had said. Steward to the throne meant that this man was not the king. She looked back at Rillian and quickly returned her gaze to the steward, comparing the two men.

The man did not resemble Rillian at all, which made sense if he wasn't Rillian's father. While Rillian had light brown hair that was slightly shaggy from the rough voyage, the kings' dark locks were perfectly coifed. Rillian's face was smooth except for a few days growth of stubble in his chin which only made him seem more mature. With wide, alert eyes it seemed as though Rillian was constantly aware and apprehensive of his surroundings. The older man in front however sported a full grown beard and his eyes were lined from either stress or laughter. Cari supposed it was from laughter since the steward's eyes seemed glazed with either boredom or content. He clearly believed that his country was safe from any occasion.

"It's my pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman," the steward's voice broke the pause and caused Cari to give a small jump before quickly offering her hand for a handshake. The steward instead took her hand and kissed it. Cari forced back a shiver, trying to hide how crept out she was by the man. In annoyance though she noticed Rillian give a small smirk.

"um….yeah it's great to meet you too." Cari mentally kicked herself for sounding so casual. What was wrong with her? The steward just smiled charmingly and quickly introduced his party. The names flew in and out of her head. She retained nothing, too busy taking in her surroundings. She barely noticed that they were moving forward and mounting horses. With an absent mind she mounted a horse and felt rather than noticed Rillian mount behind her. Her body immediately relaxed however when his warm arms surrounded her.

"Rillian, I must say that although your mannerism could use work your timing is impeccable as always." He continued in a cheery fashion. "You have all returned in time to enjoy the celebration of your birth! We weren't sure if you would return in time Rillian, but the council decided that we couldn't disappoint the Narnians. I'm glad you have finally decided to take responsibility and accept the conditions."

"Believe me uncle, my being back has nothing to do with our terms." Jordian's face fell into disappointment and he quickly looked to Ovarius. The centaur remained unmoving and calm.

"How silly of me to think you had changed." He replied sarcastically. "Do you mind telling me the reason of your return then?" Cari turned her attention back to Narnia as Rillian briefly illustrated their encounter with the pirates. Their small party was travelling up the large hill now. The road was a little larger than the streets of Toronto but was so much cleaner and was cobbled. Each side was decorated with framed houses of white plaster and maroon roofs. Large trees weaved in between the homes and flowers littered every available space, filling the air with a sweet scent. She lost herself in her surroundings which seemed so bright and magical. It wasn't until she heard anger in the air that she snapped back to reality.

"….impossible! Rillian, what kind of nonsense are you trying to get me to swallow?" the steward Jordian snapped. He had mounted a large cream stead and had rode beside them before abruptly stopping his horse, causing the entire party to halt and listen in.

"It's far from nonsense uncle. These _Narnians_," he stressed the word and narrowed his eyes in determination, "need immediate medical care so if you wouldn't mind carrying on without us…" he quickly spun their horse around, causing Cari's stomach to lurch and she grasped Rillian's arms tighter.

"This is far from over Rillian!"Jordian called as they rode back to the ship, "I deserve an explanation from your own mouth and I will get one!" Rillian grumbled a reply and stepped up the pace.

"Lord Camion!" he called once they reached their own small party which had stayed back with the ship. Their crewmen were busily unloading their supplies and possessions. It was a smooth mess of action as those atop the deck worked hard to secure the ship to the dock. A few Narnians were leading the ex-slaves out of the ship and into the bright day light. The joy and disbelief on their faces was enough to pull Cari's heart and twist it painfully. It was a bittersweet sight. The hollowness was still present in many eyes, but some managed ear splitting grins.

"You called sire?" Rillian jumped off their black horse and walked to meet Camion halfway. Cari immediately felt the cold rush in place and the fear of being alone on the massive horse. She lightly held onto the horses neck though, knowing that if she did what she wanted to do and used her death grip, she'd probably hurt the horse.

"I need you to acquire carriages and horses for our guests. Escort them to Cair Paravel and place them in the hands of our top healers."

"Rillian, this is not required of you. I'm sure they are fine to-"

"Do they look 'fine' to you?" Cari asked with venom, she seriously disliked this man and doubted if her impression of him would ever become positive. "Just do as Rillian said! God, why do you always have to question everything?" she added a bit more quietly. Camion advanced towards her menacingly,

"Are we talking to you 'miss'" he spat, barely containing the anger. "Now that your here you better learn your place!" Cari gasped and grabbed the horse, spooking the poor animal and causing it to rear. She heard a thumb and yelled out. Her entire side was numb with pain. The horse cried out in fear, jumping and stomping its large hoofs, throwing up smoke and dirt. Blinded by the dirt and fear, Cari curled up in a fetal position confused by all the noise and anger. Suddenly a hand grabbed and pulled her up and she fell into his arms. Cari grabbed onto his shirt and allowed him to lift and carry her away from the angry animal.

A gentle hand touched her face, cooling the hot tears. She hadn't noticed the tears. "Are you alright?" His strong voice asked, full of concern. Cari leaned into his hand and stifled her sobs. She felt so embarrassed.

"Yeah…"she answered sleepily. Rillian held her tight and turned towards Camion, who held the still nervous horse.

"Follow your own advice Camion," He threatened in a low voice. Cari could feel his chest rumble from his threat; she shivered and tried to pull him closer to at Camion who stared back flatly. Placing her gently on the black beast her. "You're running out of chances." He carried her over to their horse, all the while glaring and mounted behind her once more, she leaned back against him.

"I expect our guests to be treated with the utmost respect." He called down to Camion before leaving, "You do understand that word, don't you?" Camion grimaced and bowed his head.

"Yes, my lord." He mumbled. With one last glare Rillian clicked his teeth and urged their horse forward. With eyes focused ahead, he missed the look of loathing on Camion's face…Cari didn't and she shuddered. He was dangerous. Looking back at Rillian she feared for him, hoping that by protecting her, he hadn't lost his own protection.

_REVIEW please, I love to read your comments, they make me smile :)_


	16. Chapter 15: Awkwardly Close

_**Secretly Wanted**__: _

_Hey everyone, thanks for sticking with me all this time. Sorry for the delay. I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, I appreciate everyone's comments and hopefully you all enjoy my latest chapter. I don't own anything Narnian, belongs to C.S. Lewis, but I do own Cari, and all other characters not in the series so… yeah enjoy and review:)_

_**Chapter Fifteen: Awkwardly Close**_

He was alone…finally. Although the ship and his crew was a necessity for his brief and failed escape, he couldn't help but feel trapped on the _Dawn Breaker._ He cherished the few moments of loneliness, longed for it continuously. Every opportunity that he could to escape, he would go. The acceptance of his ambassador mission to the lone Isles was the perfect excuse to acquire another taste of freedom. It was only a matter of asserting his authority and a few manipulative words that he was able to convince Captain Artemis to extend their voyage to Tashban. At the time he didn't understand why he would head south, what he originally planned to do was to head eastward, following the footsteps of his father.

He was starting to believe that it was either fate or Aslan who swayed his decision. His only explanation that he could come up with was that he had felt a strange pull towards the south. He had met Cari. Rillian didn't even want to consider what would have happened if he hadn't been drawn to the south. She was a breath of fresh air in his prison. She was now what was filling the longing in his heart, his freedom.

Rillian looked beside him and grinned. She was unpredictable, that was the only way to describe her. As he watched her amazing hazel eyes light up with awe, he too felt like he was experiencing Cair Paravel for the first time. It was funny how he never really took the time to notice his former prison. It hadn't been a home to him for a long time.

The courtyard led directly to the throne room. It held the most light of the castle as well as the largest space. White walls gleamed with morning sunshine, the bright red banners stood out among the white, and the embroidered golden lion shining brightly. The throne itself was large, golden and tall with elaborately detailed metal engravings along the base and armrests. Rillian's breath hitched when he saw it and he quickly pulled Cari along through one of the many large entranceways. She didn't protest and followed him with an open mouth.

He led her into one of the many gardens and if possible her smile got even wider.

"Whoa…this is…wow" she breathed as she broke out of his grasp and walked towards the expertly landscaped trees and flowers. The path wove into a carefully planned forest full of silvery pine trees and twirling ivy over arches overhead. The sides burst with flowers of red, orange and yellow, keeping with the theme of the castle.

"I know… my mother spent a good part of her time creating this garden." Rillian stated with a sad smile. He rarely ever visited his mother's garden, yet he wanted to show Cari the beauty of it. Cari stepped forward and gently fingered one of the ivy leaves.

"I don't see a lot of nature back in Toronto."Rillian felt his heart race. This was the first clue she gave to where she was from. Did she finally trust him enough to tell him what she told Ovarius. He couldn't lie and say that he wasn't pissed when she refused to tell him anything. Yet he had finally decided to listen to his mentor and practice a little patience when it came to her. Suddenly she jumped and ran to grab his arms, eyes wide in fright as she frantically looked around. "Please don't tell me I'm going to meet your mother looking like this!" Rillian chuckled.

"You look beautiful." He appraised, looking her up and down. And she did, with her wavy hair flying free in the wind and her complexion rosy with the outside air. The dress hugged her curves perfectly and the deep mahogany colour only helped to make her hazel eyes stand out. Cari blushed lightly and pushed him with a smile.

"Thanks but I think you're just trying to avoid the question." Rillian rubbed his arm and pretended to be hurt. She giggled and tried to shove him again before he caught her, pinning her against his chest and rendering her useless. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, at the same time enjoying the scent and feel of her hair.

"I wasn't joking." He growled playfully. He smirked into her hair, ignoring her question and concentrating on the pounding of her own heart and the hitch in her breath. Finally she struggled against him and he grudgingly released her. She looked up into his eyes and he saw that Cari was now quite serious. "My mother is dead Cari." Her mouth slowly dropped and she smacked herself.

"Why the hell am I such an idiot?" she mumbled, Rillian raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"I think you need a genius to answer that question." He teased; she dropped her hand and placed them jauntily on her hips.

"Well then clearly you're no help." She shot back. He moved to attack her and she jumped back laughing, "Alright I'm sorry." She reached for his hand and stoked his thumb with her own,

"I can't say that I know exactly how you feel Rillian," she said quietly "just…I'm here…this is really all I can say…I'm here…"

"Cari I…"

"There you two are!" Chime yelled as he bounced around the hedges into view. He slowed when he saw them and grinned as they quickly dropped hands. "Relax, you two it's just me. Contrary to popular belief the fox is a noble animal that won't spill secrets."

"Secrets? What secrets? There are no secrets here." Cari stuttered as her face began to go red again. Rillian was merely annoyed by the intrusion and showed it. The Fox continued his teasing.

"Really? So you don't mind then if I stroll along and share with others what i-"

"Why are you here Chime?" Rillian interrupted in irritation. Undisturbed by Rillian's outburst, Chime lazily answered the prince's question.

"Before we landed, Cari and I had a small chat with our special guests." Rillian's angry demander dropped immediately and he kneeled so he was eye level with the fox.

"You talked with them without me?"

"Relax, we didn't talk about anything important, we knew you would throw a fit if we went ahead without you." Chime smirked, showing his set of pointy teeth. Cari laughed and kneeled next to Rillian, arranging her skirts around her.

"I would not!" he skulked.

"Don't even deny it, I've known you for what, ten days and even I agree." Cari added, poking him softly in the side. Rillian jumped up and stumbled back, then rolled his eyes.

"Moving on," Chime continued, directing his attention to Cari. "Anyway Damian and Mai are asking to speak with you. I believe they're ready to talk." Cari rose from her kneeling position and walked over to Rillian, giving him a little push towards the inside of the castle.

"Come on grumpy, let's go." He stood still and waited with a growing smirk. He waited until she was almost out of the garden before clearing her throat. Chime walked up beside him and gave him a knowing grin. She turned back around in confusion.

"What?"

"So…which way do we go again?" he drawled out sarcastically. She laughed and walked back to where they were.

"Sorry, I don't like following people."

"Yeah well, unless you're psychic or something it looks like you'll need a guide." Chime joked. "It's the other way." Rillian offered her his arm and she reluctantly slipped her arm through his, and then smiled. Warmth immediately erupted inside her and she had to repress the desire to press even closer. Something about this boy just drew her to him. It both thrilled and freaked her out.

~*~

"So you're ready to talk?" Rillian almost demanded. Mai winced and stepped back into Damian's arms as he scowled. The blond, shaggy haired ex-slave turned to Cari with raised eyebrows. She hid a laugh and stepped in front Rillian. He moved around her and scowled back at Damian. Cari sighed.

_Why do I have this odd feeling that someone's going to lose their temper here?_

"Lady Cari, who is this man? When we agreed to talk, we expected someone less crass." Damian seethed with practiced patience. He acted so mature it was hard to remember that he was still just a teenager. Mai was hiding timidly behind his shoulder, but frowned when she heard Damian address Cari. Cari rolled her eyes.

"Ahem, yes well you wanted to speak to the prince…" she started. Damian faltered and stared at Rillian in disbelief.

"This tactless thug is the prince?!" he yelled while pointing to Rillian. The prince's face turned red and he bit his lip, a small bead of blood formed. Cari smacked her head in frustration. If the conversation continued either Rillian or Damian would end up with something broken, and she knew that in either situation Rillian would be the one to do the breaking, either to stop his temper, or to follow through with it.

"Great, insult one of the only men with the power to actually help you." Cari reprimanded. Damian cleared his throat and bowed low.

"My liege, the lady speaks truth. I apologize for my thoughtless words." Rillian sighed.

"Just get up and tell me what I want to know." Damian righted himself and offered his hand to Mai. She took it with shaky hands, her terrified face hidden from view. Chime had stuffed his face in his fur, clearly trying hard not to laugh.

_Am I seriously the most mature person here? Wow, never thought that would've happened. _Cari thought with a smile. She then grabbed Rillian's arm and practically dragged him after the two freed Narnians. He was still biting his lip.


	17. Chapter 16: memories and conscience

_**Secretly Wanted**__: _

_There is a reason for such a long delay I assure you. What with university life I admit that I've been preoccupied. Also, the plot to the store is currently going under revsion. I'm working on making the puzzle pieces fit together :P you would rather read a story that made sense wouldn't you? Lol_

_Anyhow, thanks for reading this, I appreciate the comments, encouragement and corrections. I don't know when the next chapter will be released but most likely not as late as this one _

_I don't own Narnia except for my own characters, props to C.S. Lewis for creating such an awesome world full of potential. Enjoy and please REVIEW!!!! It encourages me to keep writing. What's the point if no one reads it?_

_**Chapter Sixteen: memories and conscience**_

_A tall sixteen year old with shaggy blond hair stood atop the gorge and glared at the view before him. What was once his people's link to their country was now overrun. From his position, boulders littered the dropped valley. Large and lumpy, they shifted, yelled and snored. Giants. The many large abstractions of putrid mass prevented the boy from leaving his accursed village. They were the threat that he could not pass, and therefore he could not fulfill his duty and seek help. Slowly, and with great anger he turned away from his spot atop the rise and hastened back to his family._

_~*~_

_ "Don't you think I know this?" a harsh voice sounded, echoing through the small halls of the manor house. There were five of them, all elders and the chosen protectors. Although normally full of wisdom and advice, the ramblings between the four men and woman seemed incoherent and flustered. The solution to their problem was elusive, and their efforts so far were wasted. "But what other choice to we have? We don't have the men to safely pass the valley, and you know that a planned assault would fail."_

_ "Damn it!"Rebuked a gruff male, his fist pounded the wooden table. "The eyes and ears are everywhere! Kieran and his sons disappeared just two days past…" his voice faded into a silent abyss that no one seemed to crack. The air of sadness and despair thickened the room. It was to this atmosphere that Damian rushed into, cutting through the emotional sludge. _

_ "Damian!" the female cried. She stood up abruptly, the chair scratched the hardwood floor. The teenage cringed as he allowed her to wrap him in a tight hug. Two of the other men also stood and made their way over to him._

_ "What changed your mind?" silence, Damian shifted his weight and glanced up with proud shame._

_ "Reality." He answered simply. "You were right father, it was impossible. My rashness left as soon as I reached the valley. There is no way we can get through…" The man placed a warm hand on his shoulder and smiled._

_ "It pains me to see you having to mature so quickly." He then left to go resume his place at the head of the table. The others also reluctantly headed back, not wanting the uncomfortable atmosphere to return. "There is another way."_

_ "But it is highly risky my Lord." A thin, weathered man stated. "The Island merchants have assumed almost full control of the harbor. It would be impossible to keep our intentions unknown."_

_ "I think we should take that risk!"_

_ "It is time for action!"_

_ "We are Narnians! It is now the time we remember this!" voices rang true and strong. The energy had found the cracks of grim silence and slowly pushed its way forward. With the return of Damian from his spontaneous rebellious action rose a new desire. Damian felt the fear however. He saw the sad resignation in his father's eye. He knew of the dangers and was prepared to die to make a difference. Damian had turned away from a similar notion. He let fear stop him from descending the valley and attempting to make it through the dropped valley._

_ It was the only way to reach the interior of the country. The waters surrounding the shore line where calm and plentiful, yet surrounding the calm was the treacherous sea. The villages lacked the ships to cut through the danger. The lone island merchants however had the weapons to battle the sea. Abusing the resources of their once prosperous portion of Narnian Land, their source of life; the fishery and minerals, were slowly vanishing. Their livelihood would soon follow if the Lone Islanders continued to illegally steal Narnian resources. _

_ "Let's go then! Enough of this indecision go to the safe houses and spread the word." Chairs pushed back and almost toppled over as the men rushed from the room, their faces bright and eager with new purpose. The woman and father stayed behind. The women seemed tense; she repeatedly glanced between her son and husband._

_ "Fernand, I don't know if I like the idea of our son-"_

_ "He's not coming." Damian's smile dropped and the woman breathed a sigh of relief. With a final squeeze of her son's shoulder she left the room. Damian stared at his father, pleading with him silently for him to change his mind. Fernand merely went back to the many parchments and books open on the large wooden table. For a while, all he could hear was the shuffling of paper. Damian cleared his throat._

_ "Is there a particular reason to why I'm staying behind?"_

_ "Do you really need to ask?" Fernand stated with annoyance. He looked up at his son, he smiled, the hair that Damian had inherited fell into his face. "You are the heir to my responsibility. If I am to fail, this village and the land we were trusted to care for, including the northern sacred grove, fall to you."_

_~*~_

_ His mother waved with tears running down her checks. Damian stood tall with a few of the villages who had stayed to continue watching the ship carrying all they admired and trusted, slowly drift away from the expertly crafted port. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a few of the Lone Island merchants. Sir Bartelo stood with his colleague, straightening his cuffs with the gold clasps. Both were staring out into the sea with a smirk on their faces. Damian was confused. His father's society had kept their plan secret. With what he could overhear from the many secret meetings, they had planned every detail._

_ The ship cast off, and the two merchants left their spot among the small crowd. Damian followed them with his eye and watched until they disappeared into the narrow streets. He noticed that a good quarter of the crowd slowly followed the merchants. Damian thought nothing of them. Not one did he recognize as supporters of his father, why they had lingered to see the men go, he wasn`t sure._

_ Looking back out at the ocean, his view wandered. There was something else in the water. Dark forms moving away from the horizon. They were getting larger, creeping closer as his father`s ship slowly began to shrink away. Damian`s heart beat louder, his palms went clammy for an unknown reason. The wind blew past and hit his face, cooling his flushed face. It whispered warnings. Damian was unsure why he was so anxious, but he didn't like these ominous ships. _

_ The ships were coming closer now, they were going to meet. Damian looked to his left towards his mother. Her face twisted in confusion. Something was wrong. A loud boom sounded and Damian whipped his head back towards the sea. A collective gasp sounded among the crowd. Conversation of panic and fear immediately broke out. More explosions followed by fire, a bright light on the water. The ships were at war. Which one had caught aflame? A sob beside him, and he wrapped an arm around his mother's shoulder. Soon the ships were coming closer, his stomach turned and his heart dropped when he didn't recognize the sail._

~*~

"And I had no idea." Rillian stated when Damian stopped talking. The younger man had abruptly stood and rushed from the room. Mai smiled shyly and stood as well.

"I'm sorry, please excuse him…it's very hard…" she ran out with distressed grace to find him. Chime shivered and stared up at Rillian. His face was twisted in pain and he dropped his head in his hands. Cari instantly moved to him and wrapped her arms around him. He leaned into her for a moment before breaking away and leaving the room with an angry stride. Cari sat back on her knees, a deep feeling of sadness and uselessness filled her. The dark curtains of the room obstructed the light. It was once a comfortable sitting room , yet now it was ominous with a lack of light.

Soft furs brushed up against her.

"Lady Cari, please don't read Rillian's actions as an insult to you." The fox said gently. She turned to look at him and reached out hesitantly towards him. She wanted to stroke the fox's soft fur but was unsure if this was an insult to the fine animal. To her relief and happiness, Chime met her halfway and rubbed his head against her hand. She smiled as she stroked her friend.

"Why did he storm out? Damian's story was horrible but why did it affect him like that?" She was more stating questions than asking the fox. Cari could never seem to understand the prince, and it was beginning to bother her. She wanted to help him, she longed to. Yet as he remained a mystery, there was no way for her to understand and help him.

"It is not in my right to say Cari." The fox explained softly. "But shallow secrets have a way of making themselves known. Unfortunately it is the deeper ones that hit harder, and are harder to dig up."

Anger flared up inside her and she scowled, removing her hand from the fox. She clasped the sides of the chair forcefully, letting the anger wash away her sadness. There were too many shades to her anger. Damian…pirates…Rillian… Relaxing into the chair, she rested her face in her hands for a brief moment. She was tired of the drama, yet she knew that it was only the beginning.

As she removed her hand, her fingers brushed against the pouch around her neck. She stopped. It felt like years, but suddenly the foggy memories returned. The blistering sun, tear streaked dirty faces and the pain of being wrenched away from a friend. Laraleen. She had promised to help her friend, and was forced to break that promise. Cari decided then that she had to try harder with Narnia. This was the country she had loved ever since her cousins told her their memories. She believed in this country. She would find whatever pressures were threatening to tear this land apart, and get rid of them.

With resolve she rose.

"Chime, I'm going to go find Damian." Her voice rang with newfound energy and determination. "There's a lot more to this story and we need to know all the pieces… no matter how hard it is for Damian to give them."

"What about Rillian?"

"What about him?" she said with unconvincing nonchalance. The fox gave her a pointed stare. She shuffled her feet and smoothed her skirt to excuse herself from his gaze. "I think it would be best if I left him alone right now." With that, she left.

Truthfully, she wanted to run to the distressed man and throw her arms around his strong shoulders. Yet she had been rejected once already. She wasn't calm enough to be rejected a second time without yelling at him, and something told her that starting a fight with Rillian was the worst way to help him. So she decided to help the second man in pain.

The hallway was both large and comforting, with white walls and beautifully crafted tapestry. The windows were large, and the curtains secured to the side with golden ribbons. Cari felt a sense of purpose as she strode down the halls. Her soft felt shoes made little noise; her skirts swirled around her legs.

Going through the first door leading outside, she braced herself. Damian and Mai were locked in a tight embrace. She rubbed his back and cooed sweetly in his ear as his dry sobs stifled. Cari took a step back, unsure whether or not to intrude, and then decided against it. The information Damian had was too important to waste time on civility. He had his moment, and although she knew it was crass of her, she cleared her throat.

The couple sprang apart with wide and red eyes. A pain shot up inside Cari, but she smiled and approached the couple, forcing Rillian from her mind.

"Feeling better?" She directed her question to Damian. The teen swallowed and raised his head, the strength returning to his face. Mai continued to sooth him by rubbing his back, Cari dismissed a cynic thought.

"I'm sorry for running out." He answered, "I understand the importance of my story."

"Hey no problem, I mean despite Rillian's personality he's not heartless." She joked lightly. She joined them then on the balcony. The sea stretched out before them. Cari wondered why Damian had chosen to run to the ocean for comfort, when it was the sea that had brought all his problems.

"Should we go inside?" Mai's soft voice asked. She kept he gaze on Damian.

"Doesn't matter, but we should wait for Chime or something…" Cari answered. Something tickled her arm and she jumped, almost tripping over her skirts. A fox's laugh sounded.

"You really sound like you want me here Cari." The fox joked. Cari shrugged.

"I thought you'd have chased after Rillian."

"I did." He answered solemnly. He gave her look which she interpreted as _don't ask we'll talk later_, and padded over to the couple. "Right, so are you ready to kill our suspense and finish your account?"

"How can you be so insensitive? This isn't a story!" the willowy girl suddenly shouted, finally looking at Chime then Cari with anger. Her fists were shaking and for some reason she seemed older, sturdier even. "Damian's words are not for your entertainment, this actually happened."

"Then why do you think we're so adamant to hear this?" Chime answered emotionless. "You consider us insensitive? Perhaps you would like to talk to one of the palace's interrogators? I can promise you that they would not be as patient as we are." The girl's previous demeanor vanished and she shrank back against Damian. He stayed silent, his gaze falling on nothing in particular, his jaw set.

"If we're to do anything about this, help in anyway, we need to know the full story." _And we need a form of proof…_ Cari hated to admit to the fact that these two could be lying. They would have to wait for the other Narnian victims and talk to them as well. She was already emotionally exhausted. Chime sat and wrapped his tail around him. Cari rested her back against the think marble balcony and waited patiently.

"Again…I apologize…" the teen finally spoke. Both Chime and Cari remained silent. The one thing that Cari had learned in life was the power of silence. No one enjoyed it, so if you waited to fill the quiet, someone else would rush to fill it before you.


	18. Chapter 17: Discharge of Lamentation

_**Secretly Wanted**__: _

_Hello everyone, yes it's been a while. I have no excuse. Anyway, I've basically figured out the plot so now I can just write without worrying things won't make any sense. I want to say THANK YOU!!!!!! For everyone who reviewed, I love hearing what you have to say. _

_I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does. However I do own Cari and my characters :P_

_So enjoy and please REVIEW and let me know what you think :)_

_**Chapter Seventeen: Discharge of Lamentation**_

Rillian was running. The anger and frustration was bubbling at the surface again, and again he needed a release. Cari and her embrace had cooled the fire but he knew that he couldn't stay. The pot was boiling and she had merely helped to shut the lid tighter. He needed to lower the heat. He needed to cause harm to something.

Ignoring the many stares and calls of those in the castle he made his way to the lower levels. It was time he had another chat with the pirate captain.

Dismissing the guard, the light from the door was the only way he could make out the pathetically large form of the captain. Rillian set his torch in one of the holders by the wall. The clanking metal caused the large shape to stir. A passive face turned to face him.

"Well look who came to pay me visit." The pirate smirked and rose to his full height. The Narnian people took care of their prisoners. He was well fed and cared for so his appearance changed little except for the growth of stubble on his chin and checks. The partial light obscured his eyes, giving him a particularly sinister look. "The cowardly pri-"

The man's jaw and face flew back as Rillian's fist connected. The Captain staggered back and growled. Rillian advance and punched again, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt to stop him from getting away. With a wild look he beat the man until his fists turned bloody. The captains unconscious body dropped with a loud thud, and Rillian slumped to the floor. He stared at his bloody hands as the rage slowly dissipated. He looked down at the captain's pathetic form and felt shame. He was a prince yet acted like a common rogue. No better than the man who lay beneath him.

Shaking with fear he recognized the need to dispel this anger within him. It was taking over his life so soon after he was granted freedom. Why couldn't he control himself? The only times he was able to rein himself in was when he was in the presence of Cari. With distaste he remembered Damian and the rude words spoken to him when they first met. If not for Cari he would have made Damian regret those words he spoke.

The sound of hooves on stone snapped Rillian back to reality. He stood and turned to face Ovarius. Concern and anger was etched onto the noble face as he looked down upon the prone form of the captain. Ovarius sighed.

"Will you at least let the staff care for his wounds before you continue your 'interrogation'" He asked with distain. Rillian looked up at him with sad eyes. He wiped his face and slowly picked himself off from the floor.

"I couldn't stop it." He admitted heavily. Rillian turned to look at the limp form of the prisoner. The man began to groan and shift on the floor indicating that his consciousness was returning. His hand stretched out and clutched his head as if he were trying to contain a concussion.

"couldn't stop what?" Ovaious asked.

"The anger. It overwhelmed me again." He looked down at his bloodied hands with disgust. Rillian was happily surprised that he did not kill the man. "I'm so tired." Ovarius walked over to the groaning pirate who turned to lie on his back and was now staring dazed, at Ovarius.

"What do you want beast?" he slurred, his head slowly rolling back before snapping to it's original position. Slowly he pushed himself up onto his shaky feet, looking at the centaur defiantly in the eye. "Are you similar to your dishonorable prince? Attacking a man who is defenseless?" he spat at the ground.

"He asked you a question." Ovarius stated rather then asked. Rillian shifted in the back, leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes. The pirate laughed.

"apparently I don't deserve just treatment." The pirate whipped his jaw, "I did nothing. I was denied my dignity, your prince is a raging tyrant. I'm rather impressed actually, he would make a great pirate." Rillian snapped awake and made a move to lunge at the man. Ovarius held out an arm and stopped him. He struggled against his mentor before being thrust back. He hit the wall hard.

"Remember who you are!" Ovarius bellowed. Rillian stayed silent, his chest rose and fell with each breath. Staring at his hands once more, he growled in disgust. "you are a prince, show some restraint."

"I refuse to believe he has any. He should be locked up before he hurts himself." The pirate continued. Ovarius turned back, his emotionless eyes clouded with annoyance. But it was dark, and the pirate captain missed this hidden warning.

"He's right…" Rillian silently agreed. More laughter followed.

"Perhaps he should be striped of his title, cast aside. Maybe being shamed will teach him respect." The captain had mistaken Ovarius' silence for an invitation to share opinion. Annoyance turned to anger. "Narnia would be better off without such a hotheaded fool for a king"

"Rillian leave now." The prince quickly complied, he looked back with alarm and confusion before disappearing in the dark. He had never heard Ovaius use such an emotionally laced voice. The footsteps soon faded.

With a roar Ovarius reared his hind legs and charged the pirate, pinning him against the cell wall with his strong hooves. The pirate cried out in pain but his voice was soon cut as a huge hand clenched his throat, cutting off his air supply. He kept his hard grip, sounds of choking filled the empty space, bouncing off the stone walls, only increasing the sounds of pain. He released his grip slightly and the man gasped.

"Now shut up and listen." Ovarius began. Anger vibrated through the words and the pirate shivered in fear. Goosebumps sprang on his filthy forearms. Hi s eyes were locked with Ovarius' icy gaze. In the matter of a few moments the centaur had shattered the confidence of the man in his grasp, reducing him into a quivering child. The iron cast strength of the centaur's ability to control emotion and weakened when loyalties were tested.

"you are going to tell me right now who hired you to commit such terrible crimes."

"you…you can't force me…" the centaur squeezed his throat, the man choked, tears sprang to his eyes clearly indicating his desire to live. Ovarius loosened the grip once again.

"If you prove to be useless, your life ends. Speak. Now."

The man cried.

~*~

The wall was cold. It was a comfort, the goose bumps on his arms helped to distract him, keep him from breaking down further. He wanted to be strong but was loosing his strength. The problems that swirled and twisted in his mind were once buried deep underneath the secular. He ran away and occupied himself with adventure. Exploring new places, or trying to at least. Tashban was an accident. He had not meant to head south but had a strange desire to go. Rillian was starting to feel as though some outside force was at play.

How else were these mental problems, which he managed to hide for years, now suddenly affecting him? He scowled. This was Cari's fault. If he had never locked eyes with her beautiful frightened ones that day almost three weeks ago, he could have continued living in denial. What gave her the right to interfere? How could one person break open the protected and enforced mental barriers he had placed to protect himself? He was fuming inside. Displaced anger lashed out towards the woman he had met, rescued and cared for. Guilt hit him slowly and silently. He stared at his hands once again and changed his mind.

"So this is where you've been hiding?" a familiar velvety voice rang beside him. Soft hairs tickled his arms. Rillian looked up at Chime's crooked smile. The fox bent his head and sniffed Rillians hands. The prince shifted uncomfortably and looked away. " so I take it the man was uncooperative?"

"Ovarius is talking to him."

"Oh alright then so we should have the information we need by the next ten minutes or so." Chime grinned. But his joke fell flat as Rillian hung his head again. The fox sighed and sat down beside his friend. "you lost control again?"

"I…I don't know what to do…"

"What did Ovarius do? Your shaking…" Rillian lifted his shaking hands and sighed.

"I've just never seen him so angry." Rillian responded quietly. His eyes were wide with the memory. He would never want the centaurs' anger directed towards him. He would most likely shatter. At least, in his present state he would.

"So he actually let loose emotion?" Chime asked in disbelief. "that pirate must have been an idiot to piss off a centaur. What did he say?"

"He spoke the truth…" Rillian replied with anger. Yet this anger was directed towards himself. He clenched his fist and pounded the marble floor. "I'm so sick of having my emotions control me!"

"You know that's not the case." Chime replied easily. He jumped to the side as Rillian abruptly stood and walked at a brisk pace. Chime ran after him. "your running away again."

"No, I'm not. I'm looking for a particular pain in the neck." He quickly turned the corner and entered the great hall. Red banners fluttered in the light breeze that entered through the open windows. Being in the brightly lit room automatically lifted the princes' spirits. He had left the darkness behind him, if only he could accomplish this mentally as well.

"Cari's looking or Damian and Mai." Chime answered for him with a slight chuckle. "I think you should go rest actually. You've had enough emotional trauma for the day."

"I can't just let things be!"

"You also don't have to solve these issues right this second." The fox argued, running around his legs and successfully stopping Rillian from his stride. "Your string has been pulled to its snapping point. You might do something else you'll regret…to someone who doesn't deserve it." Rillian met the fox's stern gaze with wide eyes. He immediately thought of Cari and how she tried to help him before he stormed off to attack the captain. He had left because he felt the need to hurt somebody. The anger had overwhelmed him. Running away was the only thing he could do to stop himself from attacking the first living being who touched him. It was close. He would never had forgiven himself if he had harmed her.

"Fine." He decided quietly. Chime broke out into a grin. It wasn't often that Rillian actually listened to his advice. The talking beast sensed a turning point. "I'll be in my room then. Can you talk to Cari and just…explain?"

"I shouldn't have to be the one to do so."

"I know. But I just can't right now." He racked his hand through his hair, messing his golden locks. It was streaked with red from the blood on his hands. His face too held remnants of what had occurred in the dungeon. He looked a mess. "I don't want to feel anymore today."

Chime raised an eyebrow, analyzing what the prince had said. He looked exhausted, and knowing his character, the fox knew that his explanation to Cari would only confuse her more. Yet the man needed to speak to her. The fox shrugged, rolling back his furry shoulders.

"I understand." He simply said.

"Thanks." Rillian attempted a smile and left in the opposite direction. Chime sighed, his tail dropping as he watched his dejected friend make his way to solitude. Then he turned and ran.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Forced and Inhuman

_**Secretly Wanted**__: _

_Hello everyone! So what do you know, I finished another :)I really shouldn't be writing I have exams coming up in a week haha. Well anyway enjoy this next installment, let me know what you think. Thank you for everyone who comments and reads. _

_Lastly, I don't own Narnia, C.S. Lewis does, although I wish I was the one behind the creation of such an awesome world. Anyway, enjoy!_

_**Chapter Eighteen: Forced and Inhuman**_

"Again…I apologize…" the teen finally spoke. Both Chime and Cari remained silent. Damian too did not speak for a few moments. He kept his eyes closed and seemed to focus on his breathing. One of his hands stayed in Mai's and it shook. She rubbed his upper arm slowly. Inside Cari twisted with empathy. But they needed to know, she needed information so she could protect the country she had grown to love. So she continued to keep the emotion from reaching her face.

"The ships came ashore. By this time there was so much noise…it was deafening." He finally said. But his voice this time shook. He no longer managed to take his audience to the past with his storytelling. He lacked the will power. "The screaming and panic. All rational thoughts left me and I left my mother. I left my frightened mother who had just witnessed the probable death of the man she loved…my father….killed right before my very eyes…my role model…damn it."

He turned away from her, pulling Mai around with him. He rested his free hand on the castle wall beside him. The wind blew past them. It was warm and gentle, comforting the occupants of the terrace. Cari took her gaze away from the Narnians, once again lost by the beauty around her.

From the balcony, the land stretched out before them in a sea of green. The castle was surrounded by oceans. On one side, water, the other, magical forests. The gentle wind was a comfort, the warm breeze brought the a piney scent to where they were. After a few minutes Cari squared her shoulders and walked carefully up to Damian, placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and turned around slowly.

"Damian, I know this is hard for you but-"

"So we'll continue this later… when we can all properly handle it."A tired voice interrupted. Damian's face instantly lit up with surprise as he turned to the voice. Then he relaxed and he smiled at Rillian with gratitude. Cari stared back at the man she was starting to care for. She moved away and placed her hands on her hips ready to dispute him. Chime growled softly, which alarmed her. She stares at the animal and frowned before turning her back on both of them.

"Are you sure?" Damian asked after witnessing their exchange. Chime looked back at Rillian, then turned to Damian,

"Yes, it's best if we continue this after a short break. I think we all need to grasp sanity again." Chime chuckled solemnly at his own joke. Damian nodded, gently grasped Mai by the arm and led her out of the balcony. Cari waited until they had left before seething.

"What the heck are you doing?" she almost yelled at the two Narnians, "I thought both of you knew how important their information was!"

"yes it's important," Chime agreed. He looked at her with sadness, almost as if he were analyzing her and disproved of what he saw. Cari didn't like this. She felt guilty for some reason but couldn't understand why. Yes she had changed herself slightly to handle this situation, but she was doing what was necessary. Rillian leaned against the entrance way, his head resting against the cold wall. He looked pained. Cari wondered when he had arrived, and how much he had overheard.

"We should all take a break." He muttered softly. Cari walked quickly up to him, stopping only a few inches from his face. Her features had softened. Trying to ignore the penetrating stare of the fox, she concentrated on the suffering prince. Cari was feeling the same urge as before, the desire to help him…hold him. She reached up and placed her hands on his crossed arms. Rillian's head snapped back upright and he jumped slightly before realizing who it was who was touching him.

"Why did you stop him?" Cari asked gently, her eyes searching for understanding. The more she tried to understand him the less information she received. He was so passionate and demanding before, almost ready to torture Damian's story if he were to get it faster. Now Rillian seemed distracted…and haunted. His beautiful eyes watched her own yet she saw they were glazed. He was lost in his own thoughts.

"I just need some time. I need to figure out…" he finished his sentence in a whisper, she didn't catch his last words and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'll see you tonight."

"What? Rillian, no! We need to go back! We need to talk to those people and get our answers." Her voice was rising in slight anger. Why was she, the only non-Narnian here, the only one who seemed to care? Rillian's daze seemed to clear and he stepped away from her.

"We have some time Cari, relax." He said harshly. She narrowed her eyes.

"How can I 'relax' if I'm the only one here who seems to care about these people!" Rillian grabbed her arm and pulled her close. His eyes blazed in fury and for the first time she felt afraid…of him.

"Don't you ever assume I don't care about my people." He seethed. Rillian's answer seemed to cut her fear short and she yanked her hand out of his grasp. Using her other, she pushed him away from her.

"You're such a hypocrite!" she yelled, "you can't tell me you care about Narnia if your not even willing to accept your own birthright!"

"Who do you think you are? Just because you're an intruder in these lands you think you have the right to talk down to me!" he yelled back at her. Although his hands shook, and his fists shook, she stood her ground. The sun flashed behind them, it was almost gone. The last few rays of light were starting to disappear behind the horizon. "you know nothing!"

"I know a lot more than you think." She sated, jabbing her finger gainst his built chest. "I'm not 'from here,' remember? You have no idea what I know or don't. What I don't know however, is why you're being so selfish!" It was as if she had slapped him. Rillian's expression changed to shock, she briefly saw his eyes flash with hurt before returning to their angry fire. He backed away from her.

"Think what you want." He spoke angrily, "you mean nothing." Then he turned and left her shocked behind him. Cari clenched her fists and relaxed, her body slumped in dejection. Those words hurt more than anything physical she had experienced so far. They cut deep into her very being. Cari's throat tightened, and she angrily struggled to push back tears. Why should she shed a tear for him? She apparently was worth nothing to him, why should she care?

Why do I still feel a need to help him? She quickly dismissed the thought and turned to Chime. He stayed silent throughout the entire conversation. Cari felt shivers run up her arms as her comfort level dropped.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm trying to understand when exactly you changed. It happened a short time ago, I'm just trying to pinpoint the exact occasion." Cari pursed her lips in annoyance, and turned away from the animal. She slammed her hands on the marble rail and mumbled a few incoherent sentences. "I don't understand why you don't understand."

"Well speaking in riddles won't help me to understand either." Cari said sarcastically. She faced the fox with the sun behind her back, her face thus hidden in shadow. The final rays brought out the multiple colours in the fox's fur. The animal frowned

"Why do you need to hear Damian's story so desperately?" then she burst, a vein popped at the side of her neck and she screamed.

"What do you mean why? You saw them too or don't you remember? The stench? The look of death in those eyes…" she broke off from her reminiscing with a shiver. "We need to know what's going on so we can stop this from happening again. There's more to this problem than just a simple pirate attack on a defenseless village. The story's complex…there's something else he hasn't said."

"Fine I understand that but do need to force it from him? Where you even paying attention!" he repeated again with a snarl.

"Of course I was! What the hell was I even out here?" Chime growled and jumped her, knocking her down onto the hard marble floor. With a cry she whipped around and held the fox back as he snapped.

"Did you see the pain in his eyes? Did you see how he was emotionally destroyed by this 'memory?' no you didn't!" he jumped of her, his bristled fur still standing as he began to circle around her. She followed him with a confused glare on her face. "You exude compassion and fine your motives are just. But have you ever stopped to consider the means to your 'end'?" her glare vanished.

"W…what?" Chime's expression and fur softened. He approached her and nuzzled her shoulder, helping her into a more comfortable position. They sat eye to eye, her back against the balcony.

"Damian was suffering Cari. Maybe you were too disturbed by the story to notice but he looked like he had visited hell and came back barely alive." His lip turned up into a small smile. Cari closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands.

"No I didn't notice."

"He apologized because he couldn't talk anymore. Remember when we first met? How it took us forever to gat you to tell us the full story of what happened to you?" Cari automatically shivered as the memory of her capture came rushing back. The possibility of what could have happened freaked her out the most. She had escaped rape yet again and only succeeded with the help of Rillian and the fox. Cari shrunk in self-loathing. She was shown compassion by the Narnians. If they wanted to they could have interrogated the story from her lips, she could have been an enemy for all they knew. Instead they took care of her.

"A living creature is worth more than the information they are carrying. Not everyone thinks this way however." Chime sighed, "It's easy to forget to treat a person with compassion when the weight of their information affects the lives of many. The pirate captain is a perfect example of this." Cari immediately perked immediately and slammed her fist angrily on the marble floor.

"That man is a murderer! Scum, he deserves nothing." Chime shook his head in disappointment.

"Rillian believed the same and almost blindly murdered the man today… I could smell the blood on his fists." Cari stared at the fox with wide eyes. This was something else she hadn't noticed. No wonder Rillian acted so strangely.

"He felt guilty." She spoke softly, more to herself than to her companion.

"He realized what he did, I'm guessing with the help of Ovarius. Rillian used to be a empathetic man, but he changed. You need to be careful that you don't follow this pattern." Her eyes met the fox's and she was relieved to see them sparkling with his usual mirth. He liked her nose, causing her to scrunch up her face as a protest. He chuckled. "It means I forgive you."

"Thank you then." She smiled. With a fluid motion the fox stood and walked to the balcony doors.

"Just remember that physical torture isn't the only method."

"I know that far too personally." She muttered. Chime gave her a titled look then left her. Cari stood up slowly and gazed out across the darkened landscape. She felt terrible. Why hadn't she noticed Damian was suffering while sharing his tale? She had gone through something tragic as well….

"I'm a hypocrite" she groaned, grasping her wavy hair. Her moping was soon interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder. Turning, she was met with a faun who smiled timidly at her. Blushing that he had caught her slumping and looking like a genuine mess.

"Sorry to disturb you my lady, but dinner will be served soon and you were asked by the Steward to join." The faun told her on a cheerful voice. He waited for her to nod her response before leaving. Cari remained where she was for a few more seconds.

"Great, now I have to make a fool out of myself..." Cari sighed and followed the faun inside the castle, easily catching up with the smaller creature. She tapped his shoulder.

"Um…I don't know where my room is?" she asked with an embarrassed chuckle. The faun smiled and motioned for her to follow. If she was going to make a fool out of herself, she may as well try to look decent.


	20. Chapter 19: Trashed and Scattered

Hey Everyone, its been a while. I know i've taken a long haitus from this story but I'm going to have to go ahead and blame university for that. I do want to eventually finish this, just because I know how annoying it is to read an unfinished story and never know the ending... so I'm going to try and upload a few chapters this reading week, but I can't promise to be consistent or finish anytime soon. But I can promise some ROMANCE! ya! :D

Anyhow, the world of Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis (thank you Mr. Lewis) but all the new characters (Cari, Chime, etc...) belong to me. Happy reading, please comment, I love to hear your thoughts, and hopefully I'll post soon! (the awesome thing is, is that I'm almost done my degree! Also, summer will be here in a few months!)

**_ Trashed and Scattered_**

Cari grasped the fabric resting on her thighs and raised her skirts, all the while cursing the vastly foreign length of the dress she was wearing. She was used to miniskirts and pants, not gowns. Nonetheless, she really didn't want to embarrass Rillian after the way she treated him. Cari's checks burned in shame.

The noise and music was beginning to become a little louder, a sure sign that she chose the right hallways to get to the dining hall. They all stared as she entered the room, and the voices stopped. She peaked a glance at Rillian and saw that he was the only one who was ignoring her presence. Her heart tweaked a bit. She was kind of hoping the elaborate silks would have made some kind of impression on him…as narcissistic that would be… The Stewart, Jordian however, rose from his seat at the front of the table with a large grin on his face.

"My dear Lady Cari, please, come join our dinner party. I am so glad you could finally grace us with your beautiful presence." Not the kind of attention she hoped for. His compliments sounded just a touch off; his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She gently brushed past Ovarius in her rush to sit down. He nodded his head in welcome.

The dinner was confusing for her. Courses of delectable food swept onto and off the table so quickly, it was difficult for her to finish anything off her plate. The wine was dark red and sweet, and there was plenty of it, so she spent most of her attention with her drink. The conversations were so far, quite personal, with the table quests conversing mostly with those adjacent to themselves. The only voice she missed was that of Rillian's. He ate with a quiet contemplation. She wondered what he was thinking of.

"Are you enjoying yourself thus far, my lady?" the Stewart suddenly asked her. She jumped a little in her seat, the wine in her crystal glass swished dangerously to the rim.

"Um…ya, I mean yes, of course." She stammered, then swallowed subtly to give herself a chance to recompose. "Narnia is so beautiful, so different than what I've seen so far."

"Ah yes, I was told that you joined with our deviant Rillian in Tashbaan. Whatever were you doing in such a city?"

"Well…that's where the fates decided to place me I suppose." She joked nervously, their conversation was beginning to turn a few heads. Cari could feel her checks beginning to heat.

"The fates? You do mean Aslan, do you not?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow, "I don't know what other powers you must be speaking of."

"Oh, no you misunderstood, where I come from, the fates is an old classical reference! You see, in Greek mythology the fates were personified and supposedly decided the life course of every mortal…ah, never mind." She trailed off when she realized the confusion etched onto his face. Ovarius on the other hand, brightened in interest.

"These 'fates,' must be synonymous with the constellations." He mused quietly.

"You said, 'where you come from,' I'm interested to know where exactly that is. I am interested to hear your story."

"I'm sure it would bore you…"

"please, I assure you I am quite interested." He was staring intently at her. The attention was beginning to be extremely unnerving. There was something about this man that was making her uncomfortable. The fact that he so easily invaded her comfort space was definitely a trigger to her unease.

"Stop with the interrogations Jordain, she's not a spy, she's not evil, or a demon either." Rillian finally spoke. His voice seemed to overcome the entire table, covering the area with his presence. His gaze was sharp and challenging. Jordain sputtered.

"I wasn't questioning her, my dear boy, I was merely curious!"

"Well your curiosity is touching upon a lot of personal questions. I don't think that large glass of wine was strategically placed for her enjoyment either." As he spoke, the tone rose. Jordain straightened in his seat, matching Rillian's bearing.

"I am sensing a lot of hostility from you Rillian," He responded bluntly. Cari watched the Stewarts grip tighten on his utensils until his knuckle whitened. "Perhaps it is yourself that I should be questioning rather than this lovely young woman, despite the fact that she is much more pleasing to talk to."

"You want to question me? Fine! I'll tell you everything I know, every damn injustice I witnessed to this supposed treaty of yours!" Rillian exploded, his eyes flashed in anger. Cari looked from him to Jordain and was surprised by the Stewarts relatively calm demeanor. At the most, he looked mildly patronizing.

"Perhaps if you made yourself more available around the castle, you would realize that you are quite mistaken about the treaty."

"You are blind. And you are naïve."He spat.

"At least I am honoring your father's last request."

The table was silent. All cutlery had stopped, mid action and their eyes travelled to the head of the table. Cari breathed deep, her chest constricted with nerves as she tried to catch Rillian's eye. Yet he was too busy glaring at the Steward to notice her. The Steward's chest rose and fell as his face shown red. Ovarius continued to stare mutely at his plate. He had yet to show any emotion.

With a growl Rillian stood up, his chair scraping violently behind him. He then strode angrily form the room. With the slamming of the door, the air of the room changed from chilly to hot and stifling. Cari pulled at the cord around her waist, playing with the tassels as she eyed her dinner companions and the door. The Steward's expression was directed at his food, and for that she was grateful. Flashes of disappointment fought with anger on his face. Cari realized that Jordian was tired. He was not a ruler but had taken the responsibility temporarily to help Rillian. Suddenly he looked up with bright eyes and a forced smile.

"Lady Cari, perhaps, you being from another world, you might explain our prince's unconventional behavior?" he joked with a smile. Yet Cari could sense the serious undertone of the question. The table chuckled and the tension began to fade from the room. Cari's hand clenched her fork, the metal making grooves in her palm. Jordian waited for her answer.

"When my lord says 'another world' I hope he isn't referring to my lack of knowledge in etiquette." She joked, waving her salad fork and gesturing to her dish, which held a slice of cod. Her joke seemed to satisfy the confused faces of the table. She turned her head to look at the man beside her. Jordian met her fake cheer with one of his own. "Do I appear all-knowing my Lord?"

"On the contrary my dear, your very presence here signals you as an outsider. It is clear that you are not Narnian" he stated silently. There seemed to almost be an underlying tone of suspicion and warning to his voice. The room suddenly became even hotter, the silks against her skin seemed more like layers of synthetic un-breathable nylon and spandex.

"Does this offend you?" she replied with a slightly squeaky voice. Mai, who sat beside her, paused in her conversation with Damian to look at her strangely.

"is something wrong lady Cari?" she asked shyly.

_Why does everyone in this land have such perceptive personalities?_ She thought with annoyance, she missed the naivety of the people back in her world. Cari's mouth went dry. Why did it feel strange to think of 'her world?' deep in her soul it felt as though it was wrong to refer to Toronto as home, which was ridiculous?

A man cleared his throat and Cari blushed, realizing that she had been blatantly staring off into space. She smiled apologetically to Jordian

"Is there something you wish me to do?" she asked

"As a matter of fact there is." he leaned towards her slightly, but not enough to catch the attention of their dinner guests. "Surely you must hold some sort of power or sway with Rillian, what with being from outside Narnia?"

"What are you getting at?" she asked suspiciously, not caring if she was beginning to be rude. "Are you claiming I'm some sort of witch?"

"You must have some sort of power which attracts Rillian and others to you? Why else would you be here with us as such a high guest of honor?" Cari's mouth hung open. She quickly snapped it closed and clenched her fist, staring angrily at her unfinished food.

"And if I did have these powers you seem to believe I have, what do you expect me to do? Charm Rillian and force him to take up the crown?"

"Well…it would only be temporary… just until he acquired the sense to accept his position on his own." His voice was pleading. Cari would have laughed at his desperation if she wasn't trying to stop herself from slamming her fist in his face.

"So you want to trap him with the responsibility of king?" she finished maliciously.

"That wouldn't be the term I would use but, yes." Cari jumped up from her seat, eyes flashing with a wild protective anger. How dare he assume and insult her? How dare he try to force Rillian into a life he wasn't sure he wanted?

"I would rather die that help you force Rillian into a life he doesn't want!" she yelled, "I would have thought you of all people would understand the daily torture it is to endure a life you've been forced into. Clearly you don't! Well let me tell you something, I've seen this suffering first hand for seventeen years and it sucks!"

Then she left. She left them pondering her strange manner and words. She left them in anger for yelling at their temporary king. She left them confused, she left them worried. She left them with the dangerous thoughts of her now being a threat.

"Damn him!" she yelled as she exited the castle. She should have run after Rillian the moment he left the table. He could be anywhere. He could have run away again…. How her heart twisted in pain at the thought of Rillian leaving her.

But the sea called out to her, as she knew it would to Rillian as well. And sure enough, she found him.


End file.
